The Diplomatic Informer_I5_2021

INSIDE THIS EDITION:

• President Cyril Ramaphosa, on African

Union 2020 Role & Chairship Achievements

• Multichoice Africa’s Most-Loved Storyteller.

• Interview with the Dean of the Diplomatic

Corps, Ambassador Bene M’poko of

The Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Interview with Ambassador

Mr Kanat Tumysh of

Kazakhstan on 30 Years

of Independence

of Kazakhstan.

GO-TO-GUIDE - PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

AFRICAN UNION 2020 CHAIRSHIP ACHIEVEMENTS

H.E. Ambassador of the

Democratic Republic of Congo

to the Republic of South Africa,

Dean of the Diplomatic Corps &

SADC Focal Point.

H.E. Ambassador Kanat Tumysh

of the Republic of Kazakhstan

to the Republic of South Africa

Issuing Association:

SACCI

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04 SPECIAL EDITION 2021

FOUNDER, CEO & PUBLISHER : Susan Novela

EDITOR

: Vincent G. Malunga

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR

CONTENT DIRECTOR

MEDIA LIASON

COVER DESIGN

DESIGN & LAYOUT

MARKETING DIRECTOR

DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR

: Femida Cassim

: Moses Mudzwiti

: Susan Novela

: Calvin Modirapula

: Creative Pair

: Virtuoso Bolevard

: The Diplomatic Informer

: Felix Novela

: Bertolo Chonguica

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President of the

P10 Republic of South Africa

Cyril Ramaphosa has successfully

completed his term as Chair of the

African Union (AU),

I wish South Africa

P32everlasting prosperity

for its people. By His Excellency

Mr. Tariq Al-Ansari Ambassador of

the State of Qatar.

Being the longest

P18 serving Ambassador,

H.E. Bene M’Poko is the Dean of the

Diplomatic Corps.

Deputy Minister for

P42the Development of

Economy, Trade, and Agriculture

of Ukraine, H.E. Mr. T. Kachka

An Expert In International Law

P22

Interview with

His Excellency Mr

Kanat Tumysh Ambassador of

Kazakhstan to South Africa

The Thembekile

P46Mandela Foundation (TMF),

founded by Ms Ndileka Mandela, a

Social Activist & Author

PAGE TURNERS

The King Salman

P50Humanitarian Aid

and Relief Centre (KS Relief) was

established by King Salman bin

Abdul-Aziz in 2015.

We caught up with

P70 Hanan Jarrar, Palestinian

Ambassador to South Africa, Namibia

and Lesotho, after the ceasefire to

better understand the situation

civilians have faced

At L’Africaine boutique, we

P76cater for all ages and genders

with our latest addition being the

newborn baby range. Our unique pieces

range from men’s wear, bridal, cocktail

P81 Technological

advancement. Civil and

structural engineering has often been

summarised as the bricks and mortar

sector, at least compared to sectors

such as medical, ICT and Energy.

Cost of living is most often

P79 used to compare life in

different parts of the country

or across different countries in the

World.

Billionaire Businessman

P84 Patrice Motsepe the new

President of the Confederation of African

Football (CAF), is no novice to football. On

12 March this year, CAF elected Motsepe

in Rabat, Morocco, as the first Englishspeaking

CAF President.



06 CEO’S LETTER

A

warm and hearty welcome to our

old and new readers. On 9 February

2020, President CyriI Ramaphosa

assumed his and South Africa’s

role as AU Chair for 2020 under the

African Union’s theme for the year

2020 - Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive

Conditions for Africa’s Development.

The taking over of the baton coincided with

the poison chalice entitled Covid-19, which

struck with full force only days later. President

Ramaphosa had to restructure almost all of the

2020 agenda to focus on the pandemic. He had

to reprioritise programmes of action and deploy

resources to manage the impact of the pandemic

scourging Africa in particular, and the world at

large.

His tenure and mandate have been marked

by the prevailing crisis caused by the Covid-19

pandemic, which made it difficult for President

Ramaphosa to execute the responsibility of His

Chairship for the AU 2020. AU Chairship for 2020

proved very difficult, but President Ramaphosa

was able to mobilize the efforts of all the countries

on the continent to face the challenge. He

led the charge to achieve tangible goals set when

he assumed the Chairship.

The African Union Bureau of Assembly of Heads

of State and Governments’ announcement of

President Cyril Ramaphosa, as the AU Champion

for combatting Covid-19 at the 34th Ordinary

Session of the AU held on 06 February 2021,

came as due recognition of his capability. He has

encouraged the resilience of societies, and institutions

across Africa and the globe.

My team and I at the Diplomatic Informer

Magazine SA have found it fitting to pay tribute

to President Ramaphosa’s Chairship for AU 2020

Achievements under his leadership in this edition.

During this challenging time, many around

Africa and the globe have died and Businesses

have closed. The economy remains in a big downturn.

Covid-19 is definitely testing the resilience

of societies across Africa and the globe.

Many of us are waiting for better days during

these unprecedented times. The wise have

noted that a resilient society recognizes the

pivotal transformative forces at play in climate

change, globalization, urbanization, technological

progress, and demographic patterns and

develops strategies to address systemic challenges

and transform them into opportunities.

Sound strategies typically focus on the scientific,

technological, or economic capacity to address

existing threats, recover quickly from difficulties

and reduce society’s exposure and vulnerability

to extreme events or disasters. Unfortunately,

measures taken to stem the tide and end the pandemic

such as lockdowns present an economic

downside as well, thereby compounding the

medical problem. If wearing facemasks reduces

the spread of the virus, more people wearing

masks will reduce the overall risk of exposure.

Consequently, infection rates will decline.

We urge all members of society to adhere to the

carefully prescribed measures by governments

and plead with the latter to remain nimble-footed

in their ongoing responses to the pandemic

through holistic action that considers both health

and socio-economic consequences.

Let the spirit of

“Ubuntu” prevail!

Among nations!


08 EDITOR’S NOTE CONTRIBUTORS

Vincent G. Malunga

Editor

Welcome to our Special Edition of the Diplomatic

Informer, in 2021. It has been a while since we

released a print version. Suffice to say that the advent

of Covid-19 in 2020 has been unkind to everyone

the world over; it did not leave us unscathed either!

Governments, Civil Society, Private sector and global

citizens have all felt the negative impact. Some

countries are now in the middle of third waves of the

pandemic and lockdowns that governments have

retightened having relaxed them not so long ago.

The vaccine programmes that had ushered hope for an

end to the pandemic to many corners of the world has

dampened somewhat even as governments continue

to roll them out. The Diplomatic world has certainly

had its hands full to the brim with various actions and

initiatives to assist their governments and citizens to

cope with and combat the pandemic.

We cover some of these stories through articles and

interviews with key Diplomats in this edition. Close to

home, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership of the

AU occurred at this tumultuous time but South Africa

demonstrated good leadership as the WHO article

testifies.

Femida Cassim

Femida Cassim is a

media professional,

writer and TV personality,

who covers in-depth

discussions on current

issues in South Africa

and the globe. Femida

was also the former

Executive Director of

the SA National Editors’

Forum and is a freelance

writer for The Diplomatic

Informer.

Moses Mudzwiti

Moses Mudzwiti is a

veteran editor based in

Johannesburg. Moses

Mudzwiti is the Founder

of the Bulrushes an online

news website, founded in

2021, former News Day

Managing Editor and the

Former Africa Editor of

African News Agency

Felix Novela

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Calvin Modirapula

MEDIA LIAISON & CAMERAMAN

Bertolo Chonguica

DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR

Despite the pandemic, life has still carried on true

to the indomitability of the human spirit. Countries

have continued with bi-lateral and multi-lateral

trade and investment summits. Technology has

come to the fore to allow partners to interact

electronically, where physical meetings have not

been possible. The world has truly changed!

In this edition, also read about Mandela’s leadership

legacy through the work of the Thembekile Mandela

foundation and the Leading like Mandela programme,

Charity work by the Saudi Kingdom, MultiChoice

Africa’s storyteller, and an interview with the

Ambassador of Kazakhstan, among others.

I thank you whole-heartedly for your continued

support and plead with you to remain vigilant in the

fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Together we shall

conquer!


Jaco Klamer

Photographer

The Strang 4A

3823 GM Amersfoot

The Netherlands

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

His Excellency Ambassador

Tariq Al-Ansari of Qatar in South Africa

Pretoria - South Africa’s Freedom day made the

Country Stronger

Dr Florence Nisabwe, Embassy of Burundi

in Pretoria - Women’s Leadership

President of the


Cyril

Ramaphosa

Photos Supplied By: DIRCO

President of the


Cyril Ramaphosa

Achieves AU Chair Tasks

By: Susan Novela

Outgoing Chair of African Union, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

handing over to President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

has successfully completed his term as

Chair of the African Union (AU), which he

took over from Egyptian President Abdel

Fattah El-Sisi on 9 February 2020. When taking

over the baton Ramaphosa focused on two

major initiatives:

• The African Continental Free Trade Area

(AfCFTA), which he described as “the

greates step towards continental unity

since the founding of the Organisation of

African Unity (OAU)”

• The second initiative was “Silencing the

Guns by 2020.” This was an AU initiative,

launched in 2013, to eliminate conflict on

the continent by the end of 2020.

The plan was to ensure that by the time the

AfCFTA summit was held, African nations would

have completed negotiations to enable tariff

and quota-free trade to begin on 1 July 2020. As

many as 55 African countries had agreed to form

the largest free trade area in the world, measured

by numbers of member countries.

President Ramaphosa said the AfCFTA would,

“reignite industrialisation and pave the way for

Africa’s integration into the global economy

as a player of considerable scale.” On “Silencing

the Guns,” President Ramaphosa promised to

increase AU attention to the resolution of the

many conflicts on the continent. He said the

AU would seek “African solutions for African

problems” – particularly for the perennial warfare

in Libya and South Sudan.

During his inauguration, President Ramaphosa

offered to host two extraordinary AU summits

on each of these two initiatives in South Africa in

due course.


12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Left - Right: Chairperson of the African Union Commission H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat,

President of the Republic of South Africa H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa,

Secretary-General of the United Nations H.E. António Guterres,

Photo Supplied By DIRCO

He also committed to addressing

gender-based violence seriously

and increasing the representation

of women in decision-making

institutions of African economies and

governments. He also urged member states to

tackle governance deficits and boost Africa’s

role on the world stage. “Our people await the

harvest of our work,” said Ramaphosa. However,

what Africa and the rest of the world reaped

instead was the deadly coronavirus “Covid-19”,

which struck with ferocity soon after Ramaphosa’s

speech.

As a response to the fast-spreading virus,

Ramaphosa had to restructure most of the AU

2020 agenda to focus on the pandemic. He had

to reprioritise programmes of action and the

deployment of resources to manage the impact

of Covid-19. Under Ramaphosa’s stewardship, the

AU worked with urgency to develop the Africa

Joint Continental Strategy for Covid-19. The

pandemic and ensuing lockdowns that included

travel bans complicated Ramaphosa’s task as

chair of the AU. However, using technology,

President Ramaphosa was able to mobilise all

African countries and partners to deal with the

pandemic as a continent rather than as individual

countries.

Overall, President Ramaphosa performed well

in leading the AU in its response to health and

economic devastation caused by Covid-19. With

President Ramaphosa at the helm, the AU still

managed to achieve key priorities it set for 2020.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic threw not one

but several spanners in the works that delayed

the implementation of AU plans, Ramaphosa’s

leadership proved steadfast. The AU postponed

summits on the AfCFTA and Silencing the Guns

to December. This enabled the historic advent of

free trade within the AfCFTA on 1 January 2021.

Launching the free trade area was key to

helping Africa to overcome the vulnerability

of global value chains, and to boost the

continent’s limited capacity to manufacture

medical equipment, which the Pandemic

exposed. Africa adopted the free trade area

to enable intra-Africa trade, to reignite

industrialisation, and pave the way for

Africa’s integration into the global economy

as a considerably more powerful player than

before. It is the realisation of the dream of the

founding fathers, to see the rich resources of

Africa marshalled for the collective benefit of

Africans.

“Africa is rich in natural resources yes, but also

in history, in intellectual output, in culture, in

the sense of humanity, and in human capital,”

Ramaphosa observed when he took over the

AU chair. “As Africans living in this new era, we

shoulder the greatest of responsibilities, to

ensure that Africa’s wealth does not become her

poverty; that her blessing does not become her

curse; and that our endowment does not become

our downfall.” The convening of the Second


Mid-Year Coordination Meeting between the

African Union, Regional Economic Communities

(RECs), Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and Member

States in October 2020 was critical in building

on the progress registered. This was with specific

reference to the streamlining of the agendas and

priorities between the AU, RECs, RMs and member

states. Under the leadership of Ramaphosa and

resolute support from the Bureau of the Heads

of State and Government of the AU and the

AU Secretariat, the following initiatives were

undertaken to address the COVID-19 challenges

necessary resources for achieving Africa’s

Covid-19 vaccine strategy, which targets

vaccinating a minimum of 60% of the

population. The team was also tasked

with accelerating the arrangements of

financing for the procurement of Covid-19

vaccines for Africa.

Other issues included, sustainable funding of Africa’s

development agenda specifically addressing the scale

of assessment and contributions to the AU’s budget;

progress made in the implementation of Agenda

• The establishment of the AU COVID-19

Response Fund

• The establishment of the Africa Task Force for

Coronavirus (AFTCOR)

• The Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19

Testing in Africa (PACT)

• The Consortium for COVID-19 Clinical vaccine

Trials (CONCVACT)

• The appointment of Special Envoys to mobilise

the international support for the Continental

fight against COVID-19

• The Establishment of the African Medical

Supplies Platform (AMSP): a platform developed

to assist the AU Member States to tackle issues

on the supply side of the continent’s response

to COVID-19 and access to medical supplies and

equipment

• The initiative of the Chair of the AU to engage

international partners and financial institutions

such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF),

Worldn Bank

• European Union (EU), G20 member states

and others to support the issue of debt relief

for African countries whose economies had

been devastated by the pandemic

2063. The establishment of a Covid-19 Response Fund

raised more than $57-million to help poorer countries

pool resources for anti-Covid-19 medical supplies. By

the middle of January this year, the African Vaccine

Acquisition Task Team had acquired a provisional 270

million vaccine doses.

The Africa CDC sought about 1.5 billion doses to

vaccinate 60% of Africa’s population to achieve herd

immunity. In addition, President Ramaphosa also

appointed four special envoys to lobby the international

community to help Africa fight the pandemic. This

move helped persuade the International Monetary

Fund (IMF) and World Bank to step up lending. The IMF

responded particularly well, lending African countries

a total of $25.5-billion.

Using South Africa’s membership of the G20, President

• The development of the vaccine strategy

for the continent which was endorsed by

the AU Bureau of Assembly on 20 August

2020

• Ramaphosa’s establishment of the

COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task

Team (AVATT), in support of the Africa

Vaccine Strategy. The task team was

mandated to secure the


14 SOUTH AFRICA

President of the Republic of South Africa,

H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, Photo Supplied By DIRCO

Ramaphosa helped to steer through the Debt Service

Suspension Initiative, whereby the debt service

payments of poorer countries, including many in

Africa, were suspended until the end of June this

year. This should enable these countries to spend

money initially budgeted for debt repayments

on fighting Covid-19. Lenders may extend this

arrangement to the end of 2021.

Speaking on the “Silencing the Guns” during

his inauguration as AU chair, President

Ramaphosa emphasized “African solutions for

African problems” – particularly for the perennial

warfare in Libya and South Sudan. He,

however, noted that conflicts were increasing

on the continent, citing the insurgency in

Northern Mozambique.

Another major conflict that erupted in 2020 was

the civil war in Ethiopia’s Tigray state. The AU also

sees conflict as one of the biggest impediments

to the implementation of Agenda 2063. Of course,

there are other challenges facing the continent,

including poverty, inequality, unemployment, climate

change, illegal financial flows, corruption,

etc., yet conflict tops the list.

A year later, on 6 February 2021, South Africa

handed over the revolving AU chair to the

Democratic Republic of Congo, led by President

Felix Tshisekedi. The AU named Tshisekedi as the

new AU chair for the year 2021 during the Thirty-

Fourth Ordinary Session.

South Africa will continue to work with

President Felix Tshisekedi to ensure that

Africa becomes an integrated continent that

is politically united, based on the ideals of

Pan-Africanism and the vision of African renaissance.

President Ramaphosa has set the bar

very high and Africa hopes that Tshisekedi will

raise it even higher as the AU seeks to improve

the lives of ordinary Africans.

Dignitaries who were in attendance when

Ramaphosa took over the AU chair included outgoing

chair Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Palestine

Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, heads of AU

organs, heads of regional economic communities,

commissioners of the AU Commission, and guests.


16 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MultiChoice

is Africa’s Most-Loved Storyteller

MultiChoice is thus positioned to benefit from

both the large and growing pay-TV market in

Africa, as well as an emerging over-the-top

(OTT) opportunity, supported by its in-house

OTT services and aggregation capabilities.

MultiChoice Group (MultiChoice) is very well

established as Africa’s most-loved storyteller

and leading provider of TV and video entertainment,

with access to 20.1 million households in 50

countries across the continent. It is also one of the

fastest growing pay-TV broadcasters globally – and

that growth is driven by Africa.

Over the past three years, MultiChoice has grown

its African footprint by over a million subscribers

each year but this growth is only the tip of the iceberg.

Video entertainment in Africa is still in its

infancy. Africa has shown time and time again, its

potential, which MultiChoice believes exceeds the

potential of any other region in the world.

As MultiChoice expands it has made strategic

investments across the continent, most recently

securing a 20% stake in the African digital entertainment

and sports technology business BetKing,

bolstering its position as Africa’s most comprehensive

entertainment creator, distributor, and

aggregator of choice.

By creating, broadcasting, and streaming its own

compelling local and international content, as well

as making third-party streaming services available

on its ground-breaking DStv Explora Ultra

decoder, MultiChoice is becoming a one-stop shop

for African audio-visual content consumers. The

Group aims to deliver quality content anywhere,

anytime and on any device, offering comprehensive

video entertainment.

Content is the core strategic resource of the

MultiChoice business. The video entertainment provider’s

substantial portfolio includes award-winning

local content, leading sports offerings (including

production capabilities) and access to international

content, all shared on the Group’s platforms: DStv,

GOtv and Showmax.

Local content remains a strategic differentiator for

the Group, with a sizeable 1 870 hours produced

in the first half of the Group’s 2021 financial year

– in the midst of the global COVID-19 disruptions

- bringing its total local content library close to 59

000 hours. MultiChoice produces content in 17

languages for distribution though 33 proprietary

general entertainment channels in 50 countries.

But the value of a commitment to the production of

high-quality local content goes far beyond satisfying

the viewers’ demand and hunger for authentic

African stories. It also encompasses the development

of local storytelling talent, an increase in the

number of independent production houses across

Africa, and the growing contribution of local content

production to employment and economic growth.

As platform offerings and viewer consumption patterns

evolve, MultiChoice is constantly striving to

find new ways to support local film and television

production industries, and to deliver a broader

range and higher quality of content, taking into

consideration where, how and when its customers

want to consume it.

MultiChoice is committed to creating a sustainable

talent pipeline in front of and behind the camera, to

grow and develop the film and television industry in

Africa. The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) plays

a critical role in the video entertainment industry, -


building skills and empowering the next generation

of storytellers across the continent by providing

opportunities to work alongside and learn from

some of Africa’s most talented professionals.

The enthusiastic young graduates have gone on

to make their mark on the industry, some even

becoming owners of their own production companies.

By continuing to invest in its local markets,

MultiChoice intends to create lasting value for

local creative industries, with benefits including

improved quality in the industry, arising from training

in stringent technical standards. This includes:

The emergence and demand for a seamless digital

consumer environment encompassing entertainment,

engagement and transactional activity,

has been a feature of the past several years. In

response, MultiChoice has devoted considerable

resources to cater for it. The Group’s digital properties

and apps have been designed in line with

best-in-industry practices and enable a humantouch

experience – responding to subscribers’

wants and needs in the most human way possible

by taking into account the unique environments

across the African continent.

• creating opportunities for local content creators

• distribution of content in local languages

• promotion of local talent who can build their

individual brands

• on-the-job learning for those involved in

productions and

• new content which can then be licensed to

other channels

This focus on local content and innovative production

models is yielding exceptional results,

with the Group’s first international co-production

- Trackers, becoming M-Net’s top performing

series for 2020, outperforming established global

shows such as Game of Thrones. MultiChoice

and major French television player Canal+ are

now ushering in a new era of African storytelling,

with an international co-production of the original

series Blood Psalms, which will be shown on

MultiChoice’s streaming service Showmax. The

10-part series draws from African mythology and

legend, grounded in the continent, and produced

by accomplished African storytellers. In addition to

compelling local stories, MultiChoice continues to

broadcast the best of sport and international content,

and has now integrated third-party streaming

services onto its new innovative DStv Explora

Ultra decoder. Recently signed distribution agreements

with Netflix and Amazon Prime will ensure

that customers have access to a wider variety of

content, all in a single convenient place.

It has thus been important for MultiChoice to

leverage its deep local knowledge, and to focus

on continually improving backend architectures

to establish efficiencies in areas that can be

controlled.

Whatever the future holds, clearly the interconnectivity

of content and engagement on one

seamless platform is here to stay. MultiChoice’s

commitment to the long term, and to creating

local value chains and local content, has been

reaffirmed by the events of 2020. MultiChoice is

inextricably connected to production teams, customers,

and the countries in which they live.

It will continue to collaborate with and invest in

Africa’s film and television industry, contributing

to the economies of the countries where it operates,

and creating thousands of jobs across the

continent.

MultiChoice is a business born and bred in Africa,

and its substantial investment in the continent is

making a lasting socio-economic impact. Services

are deployed only after meticulous review and

reflect customer input and market research.

Digital acceleration has pushed convenience

to a new level through the integration of widely

adopted third party platforms such as WhatsApp,

which allow customers to communicate in ways

they are most comfortable and familiar with. The

consumer response has been overwhelming. By

2020, MultiChoice boasted over 100 million active

website users and 17 million App and WhatsAp

users.

Building this infrastructure has not been without

its challenges. Africa is a continent comprising

significantly disparate markets, each with its own

prevailing connectivity and payment providers,

methods of access, and customer priorities.


18 EMBASSY TALK CONGO

INTERVIEW WITH HIS EXCELLENCY

AMBASSADOR

BENE L M’POKO

OF THE DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC OF CONGO

& THE DEAN OF

THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS

IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

By: Femida Cassim

In February this year the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

H.E. Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo officially took over the annual rotating Chairmanship

of the African Union (AU) for 2021 from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.


The Democratic Republic of Congo commenced

its reign with a handover, which comprised two

panels, one being a DRC panel and the other a

South African panel. We were able to catch up

with H.E. Ambassador Bene L M’Poko, who is the

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ambassador

to South Africa to share more about his work and

individual thoughts on the AU plans the DRC aims

to accomplish for the year.

Being the longest serving Ambassador, H.E. Bene

M’Poko is the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.

M’Poko’s commitments include being the link

between the diplomatic community and the

South African government. He is also called upon

by businesses wanting to improve relations and

expand into other countries. He studied in the

United States of America and holds a Master’s

degree in Business Administration (MBA) and

International Finance. He subsequently worked

for Citibank in New York for 12 years and thereafter

joined the World Bank as a consultant for

five years. He then served the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) for 10 years,

which included moving to South Africa in 1995

to open the UNDP offices here. In 2001, he was

appointed DRC’s Ambassador to South Africa. In

2016, M’Poko was recognized for his efforts in a

special category with the Ubuntu Ambassadorial

Excellence Award. When asked about his portfolio

expanding. With a smile on his face M’Poko

calmly accepts his extra role. The Ambassador

shared that people actually ask him, how he does

all this work and still has time to sleep. He replies

to them, “I don’t” and expands to explain, “One

has to do it. We have to commit to the uplifting

of the continent.”

What sort of support was needed to ensure the

supply of vaccines across the continent?

We have very good scientists from Africa scattered

around the world. If we as Africans, had called

upon our scientists to come and work together,

they would have discovered a cure and developed

a vaccine. Instead, we are always relying on

the countries in the north to come to our rescue,

when we have the capacity and capability to

do it ourselves. We have suggested to President

Tshisekedi to see what he can do to pull our scientists

together. In Congo, our scientists have

developed Manacovid drug to treat the coronavirus

(COVID-19) and Madagascar discovered a

use for Artemisia, a plant known throughout the

continent. There is already discussion to bring

together scientists from South Africa, Madagascar

and Kenya. For this to happen M’Poko added that

all we need is political will.

The pandemic derailed many plans globally

including South Africa’s plans for the AU, which

included silencing the guns, women’s financial

inclusion and championing infrastructure

development, will your leadership be continuing

where SA left off with these areas and is

there some sort of timeline or plan to ensure

all of President Tshisikedi’s goals are attained?

Definitely, there must be continuation. Silencing

the guns on the continent is priority number one

because as long as the continent is unstable, we

cannot embark on a sustainable development

path. The development process will be impaired

by the instability in the different African countries,

so silencing the guns, which President Ramaphosa

started, President Tshisekedi will continue. Without

peace and stability, we cannot be successful in

embarking into our development agenda. The AU

Development Agenda 2063 is very ambitious, but

you cannot implement it if you do not have peace

and stability on the continent.

How do you foresee addressing the instability?

It is a collective effort. President Tshisekedi cannot

do it alone; he will need the cooperation of other

Presidents from other countries to embark on the

process of silencing the guns. President Tshisekedi

has highlighted amongst a long list of goals Covid-

19, peace, climate change, gender equality as the

top priorities for the AU.

What are the challenges and plans for the

vaccine distribution?

First is to buy the vaccine from outside. Second is

to bring our scientists together on the continent

to develop our own effective vaccine. We do not

know how long the pandemic will be with us and

we need to develop our own tools to fight the

pandemic. The challenge is that we lack infrastructure

and need to find ways to reach people

in the rural areas, to get the vaccine across the

borders, in order to reach areas.


20 EMBASSY TALK CONGO

Initially, we will need help from the WHO as they

have the expertise. Other institutions are also

willing to help but we cannot rely on hand outs;

the continent has to develop its own capacity

including the infrastructure. For example, in the

SADC region, we have an ambitious program for

infrastructure development but some of it is not

taking place because Covid-19 hit us and most

countries are experiencing economic problems.

We have also put in place the Africa Free Trade

Zone so that African countries can trade amongst

each other, but you cannot trade if you are not

producing, and once you are producing you

need infrastructure to move the goods around

the continent. We have been dreaming about

having a railroad from Cairo to Cape Town but

when are we going to implement it? These are

some of the challenges we have in terms of infrastructure,

but it is doable. There is a saying

- “where there is a will there is a way.“

Examples include agricultural, mineral, forestry

and other products. Elon Musk, an African born

genius is manufacturing cars in the US. Why can

we not request him to manufacture electric cars

on the continent?

We can do it but it is up to us to attract people

such as Elon Musk and others to come and invest

on the continent. We have people with skills.

We have young engineers. In the DRC, we have a

professor, Sandrine Ngalula Mubenga who is the

one who invented the hybrid electric car. She is

teaching engineers in the US. We have the skills

and the people; it is just that we do not recognise

them and we do not utilise them. Our young

people have the ability to be trained. I have been

looking at the matric results here in South Africa

and you see the distinctions achieved. This shows

we have the young gifted people but we need to

recognise them and offer them incentives.

With the increase in unemployment, how will

the AU tackle it?

The best way to address unemployment on the

continent is to start processing raw materials internally.

Africa has the youngest population in

the world. To employ the young population, we

need to create opportunities. There are opportunities

in manufacturing and adding value to raw

materials before we export them.

H.E Ambassador Bene L M’Poko of The Democratic

Republic of Congo & The Dean of The Diplomatic Corps

In The Republic of South Africa with Founder & CEO of

the Diplomatic Informer Magazine Mrs Susan Novela

How do you think gender equality should be

addressed?

Many countries have enshrined equality in their

constitutions, especially in terms of government

jobs, membership of parliament, and so on and

so forth. Things must be 50/50, but that is in theory.

In practice, there are not many countries that

have implemented that. We need to implement

that. Even in my own country, our constitution

says we must have 50/50 equality in the government,

in the parliament, and in the institutions.

It just has not been implemented. I understand

that Rwanda has implemented it. In addition, we

need to look at our culture - how we raise our

children. How do we treat and socialise boys relative

to girls? In most African cultures, what we

see is that the boys are allowed to play soccer,

while girls do dishes. The boys are playing when

the girls have to walk miles to fetch water. So, we

already creating inequality in the way we raise

our children.

Why can the boys not also be washing dishes?

Why do they not go to fetch the water?

Why does it have to be only the girls?

It is a mental thing, a cultural thing, which we will

also need to change to achieve gender equality.


Expectations


22 EMBASSY TALK KAZAKHSTAN

H.E. Ambassador Kanat Tumysh of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the

Republic of South Africa, Photo By The Diplomatic Informer Magazine

INTERVIEW WITH

H.E. MR KANAT TUMYSH

AMBASSADOR OF KAZAKHSTAN TO SOUTH AFRICA

30th Anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Independence:

Landmark Jubilee from Kazakh Embassy

To RSA perspective

By Susan Novela


Your Excellency, Ambassador Kanat Tumysh,

this year Kazakhstan celebrates the 30th Anniversary

of its Independence. Please tell us

how your esteemed state has changed during

these 30 years? What are the most significant

initiatives of the country’s leadership, as well

as the main achievements of modern Kazakhstan

during the period of independence?

Kazakhstan has entered the year of a glorious,

memorable and landmark event for our

country – the 30th Anniversary of our cherished

Independence. Throughout the years of our

Independence, we have entered the group of the

World’s Top-50 most competitive countries, and

our GDP per capita has grown almost tenfold

– from USD 1,512 in 1991 to 11,250 in 2020. In

His Excellency’s Article entitled “Independence

is the most precious treasure” published in the

Kazakhstani leading media outlet - Egemen

Qazaqstan on 5 January 2021, President Kassym-

Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan shared the

following milestones within our modern history:

Our national currency Kazakhstani Teŋge (KZT)

came into circulation. We created our Armed

Forces, and we adopted our Constitution. We

established diplomatic relations with foreign

countries, including South Africa on 5th March

1992. We shifted our capital from Almaty to Nur-

Sultan in 1997. Our country has become a member

of authoritative and reputable international organizations,

such as UN, OIC, OSCE, CIS, CSTO, SCO,

Interpol, International Olympic Committee (IOC),

FIFA, UEFA and many others. Kazakhstan managed

to close down the world’s second largest nuclear

test site in Semipalatinsk and voluntarily dismantled

the planet’s fourth largest nuclear arsenal.

The second decade of our Independence was a

period of defining the development priorities of

the Kazakh state. During these years, the position

of our country strengthened and our economic

potential increased. We defined and established

the legality of all our land borders. We implemented

the “Cultural Heritage” programme and

recorded our history. We saved the North Aral Sea

and reclaimed the receding sea. We have also:

The first decade of our Independence entailed

the laying of the foundation of a new Kazakhstan.

At the time, under the leadership of Elbasy

(H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, the First

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the

Leader of the Nation), the symbols of our state

were established, and the governmental system

(state system, powers, administrative authorities)

was formed.

• Initiated tri-annual Congresses of the Leaders

of World Traditional Religions

(in 2003)

First President of Kazakhstan, H.E Nursultan Nazarbayev

• Chaired the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in

Europe (OSCE) and hosted its

7th Summit (2010)

• Chaired the Shanghai

Cooperation Organization

(SCO) and hosted its 5th and

11th Summits of (2005 & 2011)

• Inaugurated and chaired the

Conference on Interaction and

Confidence Building Measures

in Asia (CICA) and hosted

its 1st and 2nd Summits

(2002 & 2006)

• In 2009, following the

Initiative

by the Kazak leadership,

UNGA by its Resolution 64/35,

we established International

Day agains Nuclear Tests, observed annually

on 29th of August (incredibly special day in

1991 when the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test

Site was shut down once and forever)

• Also chaired OIC and hosted its Ministerial

Council in Nur-Sultan (Astana) in 2011,

where the Organization managed to change



its logo and name – from the “Organization of

the Islamic Conference” to the “Organization

of Islamic Cooperation”

• Attracted significant foreign investment in

our country

• Turned our capital Nur-Sultan, which grew

up on the banks of the Esil River, into our

national showpiece

• Launched major infrastructure projects,

such as the Western Europe - Western China

intenational transportation corridor

• Accelerated housing construction at an

unprecedented pace

In the third decade of our Independence, our

country grew and become a prosperous state. We

adopted the Strategy “Kazakhstan – 2050” and

planned to join the top thirty developed countries.

We implemented large-scale Programmes such as,

“Sustainable Industrial-Innovative Development,”

“Nurly Jol” (lit. “Radiant Path”), “100 Concrete

Steps” in each region. On foreign policy track, we

have finally resolved all the border issues with our

neighbours. Kazakhstan in that very decade put

forward several significant international initiatives,

such as:

• The ATOM Project (August 2012) an

international campaign by the Nazarbayev

Centre of Kazakhstan. The primary goal of the

campaign is to build international support for

the abolishment of nuclear testing. ATOM

stands for “Abolish Testing. Our Mission.” The

aim is to achieve a Comprehensive Nuclear Test

Ban Treaty through online petitions and other

methods);

• The Universal Declaration on the Achievement

of a Nuclear Weapon-Free World (adopted by

the UN General Assembly with its Resolution

70/57 in December 2015);

• The Code of Conduct towards Achieving a

World Free of Terrorism (adopted in New York

in 2018), joined to the date by around 90

states;

• Kazakhstan at that decade also gained the

status of the Member-Observer of the African

Union in 2013.


The big task of the forthcoming fourth decade of

our Independence is to become a powerful country

and a mature nation. Along that road, we need

to continue the process of political and economic

reforms and modernization of our consciousness,

to form a new identity of the nation adapted to

modern requirements. Working together handin-hand

(As the famous proverb of my and many

other nations - Jumyla kötergen jük jeŋil, i.e. Many

hands make light work) all the Kazakhstanis have

created the necessary conditions for a confident

future. We intend to keep this pace up and not

stray from our course. However, as our country and

people enter the fourth decade of our sovereignty,

our state and its citizens are facing unprecedented

new challenges and threats. Not only us, but also

the whole world has entered a completely new

era. The path of development of our civilization

and the fundamental basis of the global architecture

are undergoing radical change.

There are many challenges, risks, and threats

ahead. However, the main task for all of us is to

overcome the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The twenty-first year of the XXI century will

be a turning point for entire humanity. This year will

determine the main path of the coming decade.

In such difficult times, we should not waste time

and relax even for a moment. Therefore, in the year

of the 30th Anniversary of Independence we will

carry out comprehensive reforms in our country.

Our population wants successful economic and

social programmes. We will focus all our efforts

on building an effective state and a just society.

The main priority of our country’s leadership is

to improve the quality of life and welfare of our

population. Our People focus on real results. We

involve all active citizens in this large-scale work.

They are directly involved in making decisions that

affect the country.

To summarise, I would like to underscore that

the eternal triad of our sovereignty consists of:

1) Our vast land, stretching from Altai mountains

in the east to Atyrau (Caspian Depression) in the

west, from Alatau mountains (other names: Täŋir

Tau, Mountains of Heaven, Tian Shan) in the south

to Saryarqa (Kazakh Uplands) in the north:

2) Our sacred language, which is nourished by our

mother’s white milk; and

3) Our prosperity and unity that our ancestors

protected and provided to our nation as their

legacy despite all difficulties. We cherish these

three values.

Could you please kindly tell us about the

latest trends in the electoral and legislative

process in your country?

We realize that one of the key preconditions

for our long-term success is the carrying out of

reforms through quality legislation. That is why

we renovated our Parliament this year. Truly

democratic elections successfully held on 10

January 2021 turned a new page in the development

of our country. This important event once

again proved the strength of our statehood. It

demonstrated Kazakhstan society’s strong political

culture and civic maturity. By holding elections

at the beginning of this year, we not only overcame

big difficulties, but also paved the way for

modernization.

The results of the voting in all regions showed that

our people fully support the strategic direction

of the state. The common goal of all the political

parties is to make Kazakhstan a strong country.

The new multi-party composition of the Majilis

and Maslikhats (local representative bodies) at all

levels has shown an increase in political competition

in our society. The Nur Otan (ruling party in

Kazakhstan, lit. ‘Radiant Fatherland’) Party, led by

the Leader of our Nation (Elbasy), has retained its

leadership position. Other parties, representing

the interests of certain segments of our population,

also received mandates of confidence.

What is the major and other accompanying

new goals and objectives has the

President of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr Kassym-

Jomart Tokayev put forward for the next

decade of Kazakhstan’s Independence?

Our major goal is to join the ranks of the most

advanced 30 developed countries.

A developed country entails a healthy, educated,

and prosperous people. Therefore, the main task

of our state is to create conditions for the fullfledged

development, prosperity, and well-being

of our citizens. By 2025, we will create an effective

institutional and infrastructural environment for

every citizen.

The long-term development of our country is

based on the principles of Continuity, Justice and

Progress. The leadership of our country of pursuing

the main goal of making consistent changes/

reforms in all areas. To do this, Kazakhstan will pay

attention to several priorities as follows:

First, we will direct main efforts to develop the

rule of law and strengthen the confidence of

Kazakhstani citizens in our authorities. In this

regard, the introduction of a new model of Public

Administration is especially important. Reforms

in this area include a serious decentralization of

our system of governance, modernization of the

state apparatus, optimization of the state-owned

public companies and digitization of all the governmental

processes and procedures.

As a result, we expect that the state apparatus

will be more compact, transparent, and efficient.

At the same time, the decision-making process

will be more proficient and transparent. Socioeconomic

development is impossible without

proper protection of citizens’ rights. This is an

axiom - a truth. In this regard, our country will

complete the reform directed at strengthening

the independence of the judiciary. The President

made this clear in his last State of the Nation

Address of 1 September 2020. At that time, His

Excellency highlighted the following:

“We will introduce a service model of interaction

with citizens. We will ensure Public security, utilising

new digital technologies. Parliament must

strengthen the legal framework for the principles

of the rule of law, fair competition, and protection

of property. Then we will fulfil these principles

perfectly. Today, we are working on several legislative

proposals. However, many new initiatives

and laws still need to be adopted.”

Second is effective social policy is key to build

a strong and inclusive society. That is why our

President Mr Tokayev put forward and successfully

implemented his concept of “a State that listens

to the voice of its People” (in short, a ‘Listening

State’) in 2019. We shall utilize the creative potential

of our nation. On the other hand, our leader

also emphasised education and science. Recently,

Kazakhstan has made progress in reforming these

sectors. The world is moving towards the “knowledge

economy.”

The Generation of Independence makes up more



than 50% of the citizens of our country today.

Today’s children and youth will comprise the

labour market of Kazakhstan by 2050. The prosperity

of our country in the future depends on

their competitiveness.

It is important to understand that being a “young

nation” gives us long-term benefits, but we need

to take advantage of these benefits. In this vein,

we shall carry out consistent work on the development

of human capital. Investment in young

people will certainly pay off many times over and

will benefit our entire state. To this end, we have

developed, and we are implementing a special

national project. The modernization of national

healthcare is of particular importance. In the context

of pandemic, the urgency of this problem has

become obvious. Thus, our Government is taking a

solid step towards creation of a healthcare system

that will be patient-centric, prioritizing their interests,

health, and lives. The transition to such a

model is possible through personalisation, the

introduction of digital tools, and expanding people’s

access to qualified medical care. Government

is also planning to reset social security policy. In

this regard, our leadership has opted to make support

the most vulnerable citizens a state priority.

The Government and the National Bank are developing

a Concept for the further development of

our pension system. It is obvious that its practical

implementation will require high-quality legislative

support. Third, it is impossible to ensure the

well-being of our citizens without the progressive

growth of our national economy.

The Government will continue its counter-cyclical

macroeconomic policies to support economic

activity. As part of improving fiscal policy, our

Government is planning to revise our Tax Code

to simplify it, as well as to stimulate business activity

and competition. Furthermore, it is planning

to approve a fundamentally new State Planning

System, an updated National Development Plan

of our country until 2025, as well as a new concept

of public administration.

In accordance with President’s instructions, the

Government will ensure the transformation of

state programmes into National Projects by the

end of the first half of 2021. Fourth is the balanced

development of our country in terms of territory

and economic space. In order to accomplish this

task, the Government of Kazakhstan is paying

special attention to the development of the most

important industries that connect all our regions

into a single economic space, in particular, transport,

energy and digital infrastructure. As the part

of this task, our authorities are striving to promote

systematically centres of development, considering

the advantages of managed urbanization. It

is giving priority to the improvement of the infrastructure

that connects regions, cities, districts

and villages.

The Kazakhstan Government this year will start

to modernize more than 3,500 villages in line

with new standards. We will repair roads to each

village and highways of national importance,

which are the mainstays (pillars) of the surrounding

settlements by 100%. To further improve local

self-government, we plan to simplify budget procedures

and increase the independence of local

representative and executive bodies.

Fifth is Political modernization. The main principle

of this modernization is to make all changes/

reforms in an evolutionary way, based on nationwide

dialogue and compromise. The first part

of last year’s political reforms provided new

opportunities for parties and gave impetus to

the democratic development of our country.

Briefly, I would like to outline the main principals

President’s previous two packages of reforms:

He presented the first package of reforms at

the meeting of the National Council of Public

Trust on 20 December 2019. We implemented

this ahead of the parliamentary elections,

which took place on 10 January 2021.

The reforms include:

• The registration barrier for creating political

parties was halved;

• A 30 percent quota was introduced for women

and youth on electoral party lists;

• The institution of parliamentary opposition

was formalised and strengthened;


• The decriminalisation of Article 130

(defamation) and the humanisation of Article

174 (inciting social discord) of the Criminal

Code were initiated;

• A new law on assemblies was implemented,

which made it easier to organise and

participate in rallies;

• Kazakhstan joined the Second Optional

Protocol of the International Covenant on

Civil and Political Rights, abolishing the death

penalty.

President Tokayev put forward the second

package of political reforms on 1 September

2020, in his Address to the people of

Kazakhstan.

The reforms include:

• The transition to direct elections of rural akims

(administrative heads) from 2021

• He ordered the development of the Concept

of the Development of Local Self-Government

and the Law on “Public Control”

• Creation of a single institution for online

petitions

• We established the need to improve legislation

to combat torture, human trafficking, and

protect citizens (especially children) from

cyberbullying

• Tasked the accession to the Optional Protocol

to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on

a Communications Procedure

• Through the last election increased political

competition

So, as the fruit of these reforms qualified, and

respectable people came to the Majilis (National

Assembly) and Maslikhats (local representative

bodies). We achieved this by setting a 30 percent

quota for women and youth on party lists.

The introduction of a proportional system for

Maslikhat elections has increased the activity of

parties in the regions. Involving citizens as much

as possible in the local political process in our

regions also proved helpful. The institution of parliamentary

opposition significantly strengthens

the role of small political forces. Thus, we have

given a significant impetus to the development

of a multiparty system as well as to the strengthening

of parliamentarism in our country.

Ideas and initiatives of members of the National

Council on Reforms and other reputable experts

and activists are included in the above-mentioned

second package of our political reforms. In the

future, the list of party members and other related

procedures will be created online. It will be beneficial

to use the opportunities of e-government

for this purpose. In Kazakhstan, the Parliament has

a control function along with the legislative one.

We have proven its effectiveness in international

practice. The effective use of this most important

competence will significantly reinforce the

institutional basis of modern parliamentarism in

Kazakhstan. This is in line with President Tokayev’s

political formula entitled, “Strong President.

Influential Parliament. Responsible Government.”

Sixth, in his speech, President Tokayev also proposed

the increase in the activities of our civil

society, by improving our youth policy, and

supporting charitable activities in Kazakhstan.

At the beginning of the year of 2021, the

President signed the relevant law on amendments

to some legislative acts on the activities

of social councils (community boards), which

is significantly strengthened the powers of

public councils (community boards). The next

step is to increase civic activism.

We have the Law on “Social Control (citizens’/

civic/societal or non-governmental oversight/

supervision/watch/audit or monitoring),” which

is currently under discussion. The important task

is to legalize the online petition institute. The

purpose of these initiatives is to increase the efficiency

of the state, as well as to involve the civil

society in decision-making process. Improving

the legislation in the field of the state (public)

youth policy is also one of the main tasks. The

government has adopted a comprehensive plan

to support the youth in 2021.The National Project

“Generation of Independence,” as well as Laws on

“State (Public) Youth Policy and on Volunteering

Activities” are being prepared. We expect MPs to

legislate the concept of “Youth Social Services that

President Tokayev underlined. In accordance with

international practice, it is necessary to introduce

the “Youth Development Index” in Kazakhstan.

One of our major priorities is the systematic support

of charity activities.

In this regard we plan to develop simpler,

more concrete and transparent incentives.



Accordingly, various benefits will be provided

to businesses and individuals involved in charity

events and volunteer projects. Seventh, one of

the main goals of our Government is to protect

human rights fully. In global practice, the right

of a person to express his disagreement with

any election or against all candidates legally

is widespread. In fact, the notion of alternative

opinion and voting against everything should be

normal during elections of MP and local bodies.

Therefore, the President proposed that electoral

ballots at all levels should include “against all”

option as well. This initiative will contribute to

the protection of our citizens’ electoral rights.

It is after all a choice to demonstrate officially

that you have no choice. Another issue is

that human rights protection needs to be

consistently improved. We expect the adoption

of a special law on “the Ombudsman.” This law

will regulate the activities of this institution in all

areas. Without proper specialists and

organizational work, it will be difficult

for the ombudsman to exercise its

functions properly (especially, to

legislate). The main issues related to

human rights are observed in the

regions. There are many complaints

against local authorities currently. As

you can see, the newly elected MPs

and new Government have a big task

to achieve in a short period.

Honourable Ambassador, please

kindly tell us little bit more

about the history of Kazakhstan.

After all, it is very naive to believe

that before Independence,

Kazakhstan had no history of its own.

You are right, Kazakhs, who are in fact Turkic

people, did not pop up from nowhere. Our

ancestors duelled Eurasian steppes even before

Christ. We are legitimate inheritors of the Golden

Horde (it is also known as the Kipchak Khanate or

as the Ulus of Jochi), the vast and great Eurasian

Empire. We commemorated Its 750th Jubilee last

year all over the globe, including in Kazakhstan.

As our President has mentioned, ‘The Golden

Horde is included in the important links of the

President of Kazakhstan,

H.E Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Photo Supplied By:

Embassy of Kazakhstan

cultural code of Kazakhs.

On the other hand, I would like to stress that

Kazakhstan is in essence and in geography, a

Eurasian state. Of course, the most part of our

territory is located in Asia. However, we must not

forget that other part of Kazakhstan’s territory,

comparable to the territory of several UN member

states, is located on the European continent.

After dissolution of the Golden Horde, we

formed the independent Kazakh Khanate in

1465, which administratively was divided into

the three hordes – Senior (Uly Jüz), Middle

(Orta Jüz) and Junior (Kishi Jüz). They grouped

together in settlements and lived in domeshaped

tents made of material called yurts.

Nomadic Kazakhs migrated seasonally within

the territory of the Khanate to find pastures for

their herds of sheep, horses, goats and camels.

In 1917, after the October Revolution in the

Russian Empire, we created our sovereign, fully

autonomous state called Alash, Alash Orda (Horde

of Alash) that existed between 1917 and 1920

on approximately the territory of the presentday

Republic of Kazakhstan. The capital city was

“Alash Qala” (City of Alash, currently Semey).

Nevertheless, after three years, this establishment

lost its sovereignty and became part of USSR as

the Kirghiz Autonomous Republic formed by the

Soviet authorities in 1920. In addition, in 1925

this entity’s name was changed to the Kazakh


Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Kazakh

ASSR). In 1936 Kazakhstan became fully-fledged

constituting part of the Soviet Union - the

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (Kazakh SSR).

Unfortunately, in the same year in 1936, the Soviet

government also started a mass campaign of

political repression in the Soviet Union, usually

called the Great Purge. Authorities forced the

Kazakhs to settle on collective and state farms.

The result of repression against some ethnicities

was that large numbers of their representatives

were deported and exiled from our Republic.

Your Excellency, what, in your opinion, is

the major achievement in the history of

modern Kazakhstan?

The most important achievement of our country

after Independence is that we have managed

to build-up very friendly and peaceful relations

with our immediate neighbouring countries,

including superpower states such as Russia

in the North, China in the East, as well as our

brotherly people in the Central Asian countries,

namely – Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and

Turkmenistan.

We do not have any border issues and if there

are any issues, we resolve them through civilized

diplomatic dialogue. Although from time to

time we unfortunately hear the voice of some

so called “experts” who in fact wish to make very

provocative statements, trying by that action

to drive a wedge between our neighbours and

us. Through their narrow views, they claim that

contemporary Kazakhstan received some sort

of “territorial gifts” from our neighbours. These

insinuations are extremely dangerous and

require appropriate response. Such “provocative”

statements may one day derail even the best

relations between states. In this regard, I would

like to repeat the words that our President, who

once said:

“Our sacred land, inherited from our ancestors, is

our main wealth. No one from outside has given

this vast territory to the Kazakhs. Our history today

is not measured by 1991 (establishment of the

Republic of Kazakhstan) or 1936 (establishment

of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic within

the Soviet Union). Our people lived and grew up

here during the Kazakh Khanate, and earlier in the

Golden Horde, the Turkic Khaganate, the Empires

of Huns and the Sakas. In short, the deep roots of

our national history lie in the core of antiquity. In

general, historians, not politicians, should study

history. The formal recognition of the border by

an international treaty and its recognition by the

world community has become a trend in the last

few centuries. Before that, there was no such thing

as delimitation and demarcation.”

And how does the Embassy of Kazakhstan

plan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of

Independence of Kazakhstan in South Africa?

Throughout the year of 2021, the Embassy plans

to hold a week of Kazakhstan cinema and a photo

exhibition to better familiarize the South African

public with the culture, traditions and tourism

potential of Kazakhstan. In addition, in the context

of supporting youth in South Africa, the Embassy

plans to hold a second essay competition among

secondary school students, dedicated to modern

Kazakhstan.

We also plan to invite creative representatives

of the Kazakh culture to South Africa, in

particular, some of our famous artists.

However, we can implement this in the case

of favourable Covid-19 conditions and partial

sponsorship.

I would like to note that despite the special

significance of the 30th Anniversary of

Kazakhstan’s Independence, our government

takes a pragmatic approach in holding

commemorative events. This means that we will

use state funds wisely. I think the coronavirus

pandemic has taught us to be more frugal

and efficient in using the state budget. This

requirement also applies to all diplomatic

missions of Kazakhstan in foreign countries. As

we can see, a number of countries have been

forced to close their embassies due to financial

circumstances. However, I want to assure you

that Kazakhstan does not plan to close its

Embassy in South Africa, as we are convinced

that - South Africa is an important country, one of

the continental and SADC -region’s leaders and

there is a substantial potential for our mutually

beneficial cooperation.


What are your goals as the Ambassador

of Kazakhstan to South Africa and

what would you like to achieve during your

mission in our country?

We diplomats, above all, shall serve as a bridge

between our countries, peoples and continents.

Our main goal is to create connectivity among

them for cultural mutual enrichment, as well

as creating opportunities for the development

of political, trade and economic cooperation.

During my mission in your esteemed country, I

hope to intensify the political dialogue between

our leaders of the countries, galvanizing our

cultural and humanitarian interaction as well as

increasing trade between Kazakhstan and South

Africa by providing necessary support to the

representatives of our business communities.

I would also like to visit all the provinces of this

beautiful country to acquaint myself with all the

attractions of the unique nature of South Africa.

And finally, what are your wishes to the

peoples of Kazakhstan and South Africa.

First, I would like to underline that today we

are experiencing an unprecedented time - the

global COVID pandemic, which has seriously

affected the citizens of both of our countries.

Some of them even lost loved ones or friends.

Therefore, I would like to wish our peoples

sound health. We have also witnessed the fact,

that due to the pandemic, many people have

lost their jobs and are undergoing extremely

difficult times. I sincerely hope that our

Governments will be able implement to quickly

and effectively the whole package of measures

against corona crisis.

I have no doubt that the able leadership

of Presidents Tokayev and Ramaphosa will

soon impact very positively on the

socio-economic plight of our citizens.

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32 EMBASSY TALK STATE OF QATAR

H.E. Ambassador Tariq Ali FH Al-Ansari of the State of Qatar to the Republic of South Africa, Photo supplied by Embassy of Qatar

“

South Africa’s

Freedom Day

made the

country stronger

By His Excellency

Mr. Tariq Al-Ansari

Ambassador of the State of Qatar

TO THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

The commemoration of the South African Freedom

Day on April 27th represents a dawn to a new life

of dignity for the whole world. Freedom day marks

the restoration of the South African human right

to self-determination in 1994. This ended an era of

Africa’s most difficult and longest path to freedom

from colonialism, segregation and injustice.

In that year, the first non-racial democratic

elections bestowed leadership on Nelson

Mandela, the very deserving and honourable

role model of forgiveness, reconciliation and

patriotism.

After over three hundred years of hardship,

the year 1994 constituted a celebration for

the whole free world and all peace-loving

countries that did not give up on the resilience

and fortitude of the South African people.

After lessons learned from the past, South Africa

emerged stronger and more resilient in the face

of the 21st Century challenges. Those who just

hear about Apartheid are different from those

who experienced it, lived it and understood

what it meant to be socially caged and robbed of

freedom. Therefore, South Africa rose up to take

on its natural, important and influential role on the

regional, continental and global arena, proving

itself as a significant player on the international

stage.

Following in the footsteps of the great Nelson

Mandela the South African Nation with the

wise leadership of His Excellency President Cyril

Ramaphosa continues the march for liberation

and progress. This is happening pari passu a

vision for the future, not only for South Africa, but

also for the African continent and its institutional

arrangements.

South Africa, during its tenure as elected member

of the United Nations Security Council, for the

period 2019-2020 played a constructive role

in promoting and developing mechanisms of

preventive diplomacy and post conflict peace

building.

This occurred particularly for conflicts in Africa.

The country also contributed to broader regional

and international peace and security.

admire the manner in which South Africa,

I during its membership in the UNSC,

championed several key issues, such as: the

promotion of women’s rights, peace and

security and combating terrorism. It also

supported stability in the Middle East as well

as seeking solutions to end all conflict on the

African continent through peaceful means.

Furthermore, Pretoria’s laudable diplomatic

efforts solidified links between the UNSC and the

African Union along with its Peace and Security

Council, during South Africa’s tenure as chair of

the African Union (AU), in 2020. South Africa

supported relentless efforts to increase visibility

and credibility of Africa’s prominent needs, such

as the “Silencing the Guns” and COVID-19 vaccines

for Africa. Its leadership and diplomacy propelled

these initiatives to prominence within then UN

system. Practical action included initiatives and

deliberations in the multilateral arenas, and

becoming a bridge between Africa and the world.

However, the most notable achievement during

South Africa’s tenure, was the launching of the

long-waited and much needed “the African

Continental Free Trade Area” (AfCFTA), which

crowned South Africa’s tenure as Chair.

Thanks to the country’s credibility and respect

gained during decades of engagement with the

East and the West, it is positioned as the beacon of

Africa’s hope and aspiration for development. With

its GDP of USD352 bn it should be more resilient

in facing the harsh global political conditions and

those resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The country launched emergency plans and

adopted measures to combat the socio-economic

development impact of the Pandemic in a

professional manner compared to many other

advanced countries. The country did not panic,

much to the envy of other countries, even as it

was busy with its role as AU Chair and UNSC Chair.

I wish South Africa everlasting prosperity for its

people. May freedom prevail on its soil and on the

back of wise leadership.


34 EMBASSY TALK JAPAN

Interview

with His Excellency Mr. Norio Maruyama,

Ambassador of Japan to the


By Susan Novela

QA s Japanese industry continues to contribute

and support the warm bilateral relationships

among Japan, South Africa and the Region, the

relationship has generated economic benefits for

South Africa and the Region. What are your views

on contemporary Japan-South Africa and African

relations?

AWhen we started the Tokyo International Conference

on African Development in 1993, the main focus was

on the development of Africa. The discussion centred

on how Japan, other donors and international

organizations, can provide aid to support Africa’s

development efforts.

Things have changed since then. Now TICAD has

become one of the biggest events, gathering a

substantial number of CEOs from major Japanese

companies. TICAD has evolved to become a platform

of public-private and international partnerships for

Africa’s sustainable development.

In Africa, Japan is actually concentrating its effort

to support economic recovery from COVID-19. I

identify the following areas as the key to resilient

recovery, especially for South Africa. Those are

Skills development, empowerment, employment

and investment. Skills development is our longterm

commitment. Japanese support for Kaizen (a

management philosophy and know-how that brings

about continuous improvement in productivity and

quality) and TVET skills development training for

fitters and turners, which will help South

I will come back to employment and investment

later. Africa’s manufacturing sector, especially the

automotive industry, to become more competitive.


Empowerment of small-scale farmers is our

concern. Japan has been committing to a

small-scale farmers self-reliance program,

Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment &

Promotion (SHEP), which supports small farms

run by disadvantaged people.

SHEP is an approach, which realizes “Market-

Oriented Agriculture” and converts farmers’ minds

from “grow and sell” to “grow to sell.”

AQ

mbassador, you assert that strengthening

ties with South Africa and Africa is the

key to Japan’s foreign policy, as South Africa

is Japan’s most important diplomatic partner

and “maintaining strong Japan-South Africa

relations at every level including Economy,

Culture, Education, Politics, security, and grassroots

exchanges is essential to Japan.” Can you

please explain how Japan intends to continue

to promote this vital relationship?

The year 2019 was a year of unprecedented

splendour and importance for Japan-South Africa

relations. Among others, South Africa’s victory in

the Rugby World Cup hosted in Japan was not only

a historic moment for the people of South Africa,

but also a great opportunity to tighten the bonds

between the people of the two countries.

Most notably, President Ramaphosa visited

Japan three times during the year, an

unprecedented event in the history of Japan-

South Africa relations.

Most notably, President Ramaphosa visited Japan

three times during the year, an unprecedented

event in the history of Japan-South Africa relations.

Given all the above remarkable developments,

the year 2020 should have seen a further boost

in relations between the two countries. However,

due to COVID-19, we list numerous opportunities.

Nevertheless, despite such difficulties, and

overcoming many constraints, Mr. Motegi

Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan,

physically travelled to South Africa and held a

bilateral meeting with Dr. Naledi Pandor, Minister

of International Relations and Cooperation. The

two Ministers exchanged their views on a wide

range of issues and agreed to further enhance our

bilateral relations.

This year, we will continue to make every effort

to strengthen our cooperation in various areas,

including the Japan-South Africa Partnership

Forum, the Japan-South Africa Business Council

and the Japan-South Africa Joint Committee on

Science and Technology, which have until now

been postponed due to COVID-19.

QW hich sectors of the economy does Your

Excellency see the most interaction

between Japanese and South Africa Businesses

occurring?

Japanese companies have invested five billion

USD in South Africa since 2013, and created

150,000 jobs, mainly in the automotive industry.

A recent example of investment is Toyota’s first

production of hybrid vehicles in South Africa.

This critical investment follows Nissan’s Navara

and Isuzu’s D-MAX bakkie investments. Those

Japanese companies are steadily implementing

their commitment, despite COVID-19.

In addition to these three companies, NTT

Data announced a Johannesburg data centre

investment last year. Just these four companies’

total new investment reaches approximately nine

billion Rand. This new investment will also create

many additional jobs. I would like to commend

the extraordinary efforts of Japanese companies

to implement these projects, despite this difficult

time. We are now coordinating with DTIC (the

Department of Trade, Industry and Competition)

to hold the Japan-South African Business Council,

announced at the second South Africa Investment

Conference, but suspended due to COVID-19.

The Council will help strengthen trade and

investment relations between the two countries.

I also would like to mention the impact of AfCFTA

(the African Continental Free Trade Area) to our

business people.

AfCFTA is a wonderful achievement. AfCFTA

will provide South Africa with greater access

to markets across the continent, making South

Africa a gateway to the continent. Japan is

committed to actively pushing for the early

installment of the One Stop Border Post (OSBP)

at Beitbridge, through technical cooperation. I

am confident that the OSBP project will ensure

AfCFTA of becoming a truly attractive framework


for foreign investors.

36 EMBASSY TALK JAPAN

It will further enhance the importance of South

Africa as a gateway country for more than 150

Japanese companies in South Africa, doing

business across the continent.

Q

Since the First Tokyo International Conference

on African Development (TICADI) in 1993

Japan has strengthened its cooperation with the

UNDP in Africa’s Development and has actively

contributed to the UNDP various follow-up

projects under the Tokyo Agenda for action.

Could you please explain what projects

have been accomplished and what is in the

pipeline?

The Government of Japan and the United

Nations Development Programme share a strong

partnership bond that is driven by their mutual

goal of ending poverty, inequality, and achieving

the Sustainable Development Goals, to ensure a

more prosperous and fairer world. This strong

partnership was strengthened and cemented

during the first Tokyo International Conference

on African Development (TICAD) in 1993, where

A

UNDP was a founding co-organizer.

Through the TICAD process, Japan has over the

years contributed to socio-economic development

in Africa, offering a wealth of business and

investment opportunities in agriculture,

education, energy infrastructure, manufacturing,

and smart cities. In addition to funding, Japanese

leaders in government, business, and academia

give their expertise in various fields.

Japan is one of the largest donors to UNDP South

Africa and has been a strong partner of UNDP,

particularly in the response to the COVID-19

pandemic. In 2020, the Government of Japan

approved two projects amounting to US$4.7

million. One of the projects was intended as

immediate response to the pandemic and was

used for the provision of PPEs, supporting affected

SMEs and informal businesses, strengthening

coordination capacity among other activities.

The second project focuses on medium- and

long-term recovery through the support of TVET

Colleges to train students to take advantage of

emerging job opportunities in the automotive

industry. Japan-UNDP partnership is promoting

the peace and security pillar of TICAD as well.

UNDP has recently formed a partnership with

Africa Forum, the Forum of Former African Heads

of State, to promote a New Approach for Peace and

Stability in Africa (NAPSA). NAPSA was launched

by Japan at the seventh Tokyo International

Conference on African Development (TICAD7)

held in Yokohama in 2019.

Q

Water is a fundamental human need and a

driver of sustainable growth, yet water

scarcity affects more than 40% of the population.

Recently, the Japanese Government officially

handed over a training Centre and launched the

Training Programme on Non-Revenue Water to

Minister Lindiwe Sisulu of the Ministry of water

and sanitation. Could you please explain the

expertise and technical skills contributed to

the Project?

It is clear that the economic recovery of South

Africa needs to be a resilient one. The skills

development of the youth, and economic reform,

will be the key to this resilient recovery.

The objective of the Japanese assistance in

the sector of water supply is to give support

for the skills development of officials of local

municipalities, who are facing challenges from

non-revenue water. The area of non-revenue water

is one of the major challenges, which “Operation

Vulindlela,” that drives the economic reform of

South Africa, is focusing on.

This Japanese assistance will help municipalities

to improve their performance in water services,

addressing the challenges for the economic

reform at a grassroots level.

In short, this assistance addresses at the same

time both skills development and economic

reform, two of the indispensable elements to a

resilient economic recovery in South Africa.


Susan Novela, Founder & CEO, The Diplomatic Informer Magazine SA &

H.E. Ambassador Norio Maruyama of Japan to the Republic of South Africa

Photos By The Diplomatic Informer Magazine

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38 EMBASSY TALK TURKEY

Turkish Ambassador

Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen

reflects on her four-year

successful tenure

in South Africa

By Susan Novela

We bid Farewell to H.E. Ambassador

Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen of the Republic

of Turkey andHer Spouse Mr. Sinan

Ülgen. Ambassador Elif Çomoğlu

Ülgen, a diplomat par excellence,

who exemplified excellent female

leadership, has completed her

four year tenure. The Diplomatic

Informer Magazine SA wishes her

success in all her future endeavours.

The Heads of Missions of the Republics

of Azerbaijan (Charge d’Affaires Mr Yamin

Jafarov), Georgia (HE Ambassador Beka

Dvali), Iraq (HE Ambassador Arshad Omar

Esmaeel), Kazakhstan (HE Ambassador Kanat

Tumysh) and Ukraine (HE Ambassador Liubov

Abravitova), hosted a farewell Reception. Her

Excellency expressed gratitude for their every

experience, friendships with her dearest

Turkish colleagues, the Diplomatic Corps

in South Africa, South African government

officials, Turkish family and the South African

Community during her tenure.


H.E. Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen, former Ambassador of the Republic

of Turkey to South Africa.

Photo By The Diplomatic Informer Magazine

She noted that South

African women are

resilient and stand

up for their rights.

“My fondest memories in South Africa are

particularly about making friends and working.

Throughout my four years, I have met and made

strong friendships with the diplomatic corps in

Pretoria, which is a big community,’’ she said.

Prior to the Ambassador’s departure, she penned

a letter of goodbye in which she expressed her

pride in representing her country Turkey for four

and a half years in the Republic of South Africa

and while working with her colleagues. Together

they promoted bi-lateral trade and worked to

improve Turkish-South African relations in all

areas.

The Ambassador highlighted further that

South Africa is Turkey’s largest commercial and

strategic partner on the African continent, where

historical relations are located and hence takes

pride in the growing visibility and achievements.

“We have provided our country and Turkish

companies in South Africa with support through

Trade Consultancy to overcome the problems

faced by Turkish companies and have helped them

achieved their goals. We made efforts for Turkish

investors to enter the South African market to take

full advantage of stability,” she beamed.

Ambassador Elif believes that commercial interest

from her country to South Africa will continue to

grow and that Turkey’s dynamic and hardworking

entrepreneurs will succeed in the South African

market.

She further reflected on the story of South

African citizen Lina Amato Kantor, who escaped

holocaust by using a Turkish passport, thanks

to the late Consulate

General of the period,

Selahattin Ulkumen,

who provided such

documents to potential

victims. ”Previously, we

supported commercial,

political, cultural and

religious relationships

established by the

Ottoman Empire with

this end of the African

continent.

H.E Arshad Omar Esmaee (IRAQ),

H.E Ambassador

Liubov Abravitova (Ukraine),

Charge d’Affaires Mr Yamin Jafarov

(Azerbaijan),

H.E. Ambassador Elif Çomoğlu

Ülgen(Turkey),

HE Ambassador Kanat Tumysh

(Kazakhstan),

HE Ambassador Beka Dvali (Georgia)

Finally, we ended the years of longing and

supported Ottoman descendants to gain

citizenship of the Republic of Turkey. We

generously demonstrated Turkish cuisine and

hospitality to our guests whom we hosted on

many occasions,” she continued.

“Our countries have become closer in the field

of tourism. The number of tourists from South

Africa to our country has reached approximately

76 thousand visitors a year representing a

quadruple from 2016 to 2019. Our embassy has

grown rapidly and rapidly with new and young

staff following the 15th of July traitor coup

attempt. Today, we have become one of our most

crowded embassies on the African continent,

both in terms of the staff of our Ministry of

Foreign Affairs and with respect to valuable

consultants from other Ministries,” she intimated.


40 EMBASSY TALK TURKEY

“Our consulate services continued uninterrupted

despite the severe conditions of the Covid-19

pandemic. We have reached and helped our

citizens who were in difficult situations in different

areas of the South African Republic.

We carried out extensive evacuation operations

for our citizens who could not return to our

country during the epidemic,” she referred to the

pandemic.

“We now have a powerful diaspora consisting

of people living around the world. Our people’s

presence in the South African Republic gives us

strength.

There is no doubt that we will all profit if we

maintain our unity and solidarity in the footsteps

of Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and keep

our unity strong,” she encouraged local Turks.

“I sincerely thank all my colleagues, our Consulate

General of Cape Town and our Fahri Consulate

in the Embassy of T.C. Pretoria, including the

connected organizations, all my colleagues, the

Cape Town Consulate General and our Consulate

General in front of the eSwatini Kingdom for their

support to me,” she bade farewell.

“On this occasion, I wish my dear colleague

Ayşegül Kandash who will take over his embassy

duty after me every success. This beautiful country

will always have a privileged place in my heart,”

she concluded.


We bid Farewell to H.E. Ambassador Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen of the Republic of Turkey and Her Spouse Mr. Sinan

Ülgen. AMBASSADOR ELIF ÇOMOĞLU ÜLGEN, a diplomat par excellence, who exemplified excellent female

leadership, has completed her four year tenure.

01

02 03

04

05

06 07

1. HE Ambassador Beka Dvali of Georgia to

South Africa & His Spouse.

2. H.E. Ambassador Kanat Tumysh of

Kazakhstan and Her Excellency Elif

Çomoğlu Ülgen

3. Spouse of Chargè d Affaires of Azerbaijan,

H.E Ambassador Liubov Abravitova

(Ukraine), & Charge d’Affaires of

Azerbaijan Mr Yamin Jafarov,

4. Spouse to Ambassador of Kazakhstan,

Spouse to Ambassador of Georgia,


(Azerbaijan),

H.E. ambassador Mazhar Javed (Pakistan),

H.E. Ambassador Nonceba Losi,

Chief of State Protocol,

Former Turkish Ambassador to

South Africa, H.E. Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen,

Spouse to Ambassador of Pakistan,

H.E. Ambassador Kanat Tumysh

(Kazakhstan)

5. Her Excellency Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen &

Ambassador His Excellency Tariq Ali

Al-Ansari of Qatar to South Africa,

International Nowruz Day celebrations

at the Embassy of Azerbaijan.

6. Her Excellency Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen, HE

Ambassador Kanat Tumysh (Kazakhstan),

H.E Arshad Omar Esmaee (IRAQ), Charge

d’Affaires Mr Yamin Jafarov (Azerbaijan)

International Nowruz Day celebrations

at the Embassy of Azerbaijan.

7. Susan Novela (Founder & CEO of

Diplomatic Informer Magazine),

HE Ambassador Kanat Tumysh

(Kazakhstan),

H.E Ambassador Liubov Abravitova

(Ukraine),

H.E Arshad Omar Esmaee (IRAQ),


(Azerbaijan),

H.E ambssador Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen

(Turkey),

Hon. Ndileka Mandela (Founder of

Thembekile Mandela Foundation), &

HE Ambassador Beka Dvali (Georgia)

Photos By: The Diplomatic Informer Magazine


42 EMBASSY TALK UKRAINE

Interview with the Deputy Minister for

Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine,

HIS EXCELLENCY

MR. TARAS KACHKA,

DURING THE INVESTMENT PROMOTION

VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA

By Susan Novela

Deputy Minister for the Development of Economy,

Trade, and Agriculture of Ukraine, H.E. Mr. T. Kachka

was accompanied by Ukrainian Trade Mission delegation

visited South Africa to promote and identify potential

areas of trade and investment between Ukraine and

South Africa. Mr. Taras Kachka was appointed as the

Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Trade

and Agriculture – Trade Representative of Ukraine on

6 September 2019, an expert in international law with

extensive experience in the private sector, international

environment and government, and he was a member of

Ukrainian negotiating team for Ukraine – EU Association

Agreement.

An Expert In

International

Law With Extensive

Experience In The

Private Sector,


What Sector plays a major role in Ukrainian

Economy and what are the main

industries?

The Agricultural sector plays a major role in the

Ukrainian economy. In 2019, it contributed 9%

of the GDP and employed 14% of the working

population in 2020. The main crops are cereals,

sugar, meat and milk. The Ukraine is in fact the

world’s fifth largest exporter of grain.

Your Excellency, please share with us in brief

about South African and Ukrainian trade.

What are your key industries?

South African exports to Ukraine comprise

Agricultural products (citruses and wine) - about

50% share in total exports; Minerals (Nickel, Ores

and concentrate); Value added exports (Machinery,

Tubes and Pipes made of steel) less than 30% of

total exports. Imports from Ukraine increased by

9% over the period 2011-2020. The peak occurred

in 2017, at R1.8bn.

Adv. Mtho Xulu

(President of SACCI)

and H.E Ambassador

Liubov Abravitova

(Ukraine) and

business delegation

from Ukraine.

The main industries include coal, electric power,

ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery

and transport equipment, chemicals, food

processing. Grain, steel and sunflower oil have

been recognized as the most famous Ukrainian

exports. Recently, Ukraine’s reputation has been

growing in information technology, high fashion,

aviation, architecture and design.

Ukraine has a mixed economic system – central

planning and regulation combined with private

sector.

The key sectors are Industrial Machinery and

Equipment, something that we want to develop

further, mining equipment, as well as some food

products such as Poultry, other meat products of

animal origin and Feeds for Pets.

We also have a strong interest to import South

African Wines, South African Fruits and Products

of Animal origin.

What do the statistics say about the trade

volumes between the two countries?

Trade volumes are volatile; we have seen

decreases and increases between 5% and 20 and

we would like to see more stability and growth.


44 EMBASSY TALK UKRAINE

Adv. Mtho Xulu, President of SACCI &

H.E Ambassador Liubov Abravitova of Ukraine

Your Trade Mission Delegation comprises

Businesses from Ukraine. Could you please

elaborate on the Trade Mission’s purpose?

We planned this trip 2 years ago, but with the

pandemic, we postponed it several times. We

had to organize a physical trip, because we

already have many on line engagements. It was

necessary to bring business people to - Pretoria,

Durban and Cape Town to ensure that they have

contact with their counterparts.

It is also significant that South Africa is an

Economic gateway to the rest of Southern Africa.

More so taking into account that our Embassy in

South Africa is accredited to 10 other countries

neighboring South Africa.

Would you say that South Africa is a good

destination for Investment?

Yes definitely. We have a lot in common, with both

South Africa and Ukraine well known for trading

in Industrial and Agricultural Commodities such

as Coal and Grains.

Your Excellency what do you expect from

South Africa?

I think that many Ukrainian Consumers know about

South African Wines and we have strong interest

in the supply of South African Wine and seasonal

fruits such as oranges. But on the Industrial level

we import South African Coal. These are the most

prominent but we are looking for diversification.

Which sectors are represented on this trip?

We have representation from Heavy Industry,

given our good engineering knowledge. We

have several companies from the Animal Sector,

especially poultry.

We also have smaller and medium size companies,

which are engineering, oriented in Machine and

equipment for the automobile industry. This is just

a start because the greater majority of companies

are still quite cautious in terms of organizing

business deals. We see a strong interest from our

confectionary industry as well as we have different

types of bakery products and candy.


We have just witnessed the signing of the

Memorandum of Economic Cooperation

between the Council of Exporters and Investors

under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

and the South African Chamber of Commerce

and Industry. What are you hoping to achieve?

HER EXCELLENCY MS. LIUBOV ABRAVITOVA,

AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND

PLENIPOTENTIARY OF UKRAINE TO THE

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA REPRESENTED

THE ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN

THE COUNCIL OF EXPORTERS AND INVESTORS

UNDER THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

OF UKRAINE. ADVOCATE MTHO XULU, THE

PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER

REPRESENTED SACCI.

The aim of the Memorandum is to establish

relations between SACCI and EIC to promote

collaboration and productive engagement within

the respective Business Sectors for mutual benefit.

I hope that there will be constant dialogue, both

Chambers are the center for Relations between

business, our task here is to ensure cooperation

and develop their relations that’s what is important

to us, that we have a friendly relation with all

parts of Government or institutions because

contemporary economic relations, the number

of institutions involved in supporting trade is

enormous.

Susan Novela (CEO of Diplomatic Informer magazine) &

H.E. Mr. Taras Kachka (Deputy Minister for the Development

of Economy, Trade, and Agriculture of Ukraine)

So this is our domain and we will for sure continue

our dialogue and also invite a people from South

African Cabinet to visit Ukraine. We hope that

this dialogue will be intensive regular and we

will provide a lot of fruits for all the businesses in

both states.

In Closing, what would you would like South

Africans to know about doing business in

Ukraine?

Ukraine and South Africa have much in common;

the Governments and Business have plenty to

share in the areas of commodities, and high end

Technology. This is why I would like to invite

South African Companies to Ukraine and explore

business ideas with Ukrainian Companies so that

they can collaborate.

DIPLOMATIC INFORMER:

Thanks very much Your Excellency. It has been a

great pleasure to talk to you and learning about

the trade developments between the two countries.

Congratulations on the MOU. We wish you all the

best especially on your trip to Durban.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Mr Dmytro Los, Deputy Minister Mr T. Kachka, Mr Oleksiy

Rozhkov, Ms. Vladyslava Magaletska, the Head of the State Service of

Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection

TARAS KACHKA:

Thank you!


46 LEADING LIKE MANDELA

“

CONTINUING THE LEGACY

OF NELSON MANDELA

BY THE THEMBEKILE

MANDELA FOUNDATION

AND “LEADING

LIKE MANDELA”

By Susan Novela

Throughout the ages and in all countries men and women come and go. Some leave nothing behind, not even their name,

it is as if they never lived. Others do leave something behind - the haunting memory of the evil deeds they committed against

their fellowmen. Every time their names are mentioned, feelings of revulsion well up in our hearts. Still others do leave

something behind, the good works they do to improve the lives of all people.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 21 December 1994

The Thembekile Mandela Foundation (TMF), arising from the fourth industrial revolution.

founded by Ndileka Mandela, a social activist, As we cast our eyes across the world today,

author and eldest grandchild of Nelson Mandela, a world that is grappling with the effects of

continues the noble legacy of Nelson Mandela health pandemics, climate change, poverty

by promoting global peace, social justice and economic challenges, gross inequalities,

and human rights, effective leadership, good human rights violation and conflict we recognize

governance and sustainable development. The the urgent and dire need for great leaders.

foundation is named in honour of her father These are conscious authentic leaders who

Thembekile, Nelson Mandela’s eldest child who selflessly strive to improve the lives of our people

passed away in a vehicle accident when Ndileka sustainably; ethical, values-based, principlecentered

leaders who serve the greater good;

was at the tender age of four. Her personal

challenges and sacrifices growing up without a transformational leaders who will resolve the

father whilst her grandfather was in prison fuels challenges we face and create a better world

her passion to improve the condition of youth for all; leaders leading like Mandela…

and women. These groups within society are key

beneficiaries of the programs and projects that

the foundation drives in education, healthcare

and to promote entrepreneurship and economic

empowerment.

They do this through leveraging technology

and harnessing developmental opportunities


“

Ms. Ndileka Mandela, Founder & CEO

Thembekile Mandela Foundation

Photo By The Diplomatic Informer Magazine

To support current and future leaders in addressing

these complex challenges Thembekile Mandela

Foundation developed “Leading Like Mandela” a

leadership development program inspired and

modelled upon the life and leadership legacy of

Nelson Mandela. The program blessed by Nelson

Mandela as its Patron was conceptualised and

developed by Liaqat Azam, an acclaimed leadership

and governance consultant who has served as a

strategist and advisor to governments and engaged

with the world’s most influential thought leaders

in the field of leadership, governance and human

excellence. Liaqat hails from a respected family of

social and political activists in South Africa.

Dr Liaqat Azam, CEO Leading Like Mandela, Photos supplied By TMF

Liaqat Azam, CEO Leading Like Mandela with an

African sculpture of a father reaching out to raise

a child, symbolic of the great role Nelson Mandela

had played as the Father and Leader raising our

nation and inspiring other leaders across the world,

through his example, to recognize, awaken and

unleash the power and potential of the human

spirit within.

H.E. Ms. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary of the UN, Photos Supplied By TMF

”

During the Nelson Mandela Centenary in 2018,

“Leading Like Mandela” was officially launched in

partnership with the United Nations, The Forum

for Former African Heads of State and Government

(Africa Forum), The Presidency of South Africa,

Department of Public Service and Administration

and The University of Johannesburg to promote

values-based and transformational leadership.

“As we mark the centenary of one of the giants,

we are compelled to reflect on the type of

leadership we need in

”

the twenty‐first century.

Leadership that will steer us to achieve the

Sustainable Development Goals; leadership

that is fearless, selfless, bold yet humble;

leadership that models mutual respect,

compassion and understanding; leadership

that puts people at the centre of its service.

These are all qualities embodied by Madiba —

and they remain as urgent as ever...

Her Excellency

Ms. Amina Mohammed,

DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

DELIVERING THE KEYNOTE

ADDRESS AT THE LAUNCH OF

“Leading Like Mandela.”


48 LEADING LIKE MANDELA

SUMMARY OF THE

LEADING

LIKE

MANDELA

Programme

Mandela’s example is one that all leaders should

strive to follow.” The “Leading Like Mandela”

program offers leadership training customised

to address the unique needs of leaders within

the public sector, private sector and civil society

including youth. The training comprises of

8 modules that will take you on a journey of

discovery into the life and leadership legacy

of Nelson Mandela and the application of

leadership principles and practice.

These modules enable one to explore your

context as a leader, develop a deeper awareness

and mastery of self, enhance your impact and

influence on your environment as you pursue

your vision, embody a spirit of mindfulness and

discover a deeper sense of purpose as you create

your unique leadership legacy.

Case studies, dialogue and exercises for selfreflection

enable one to apply these insights,

strategies and learnings to further develop and

unleash the leader within.

“In judging our progress as individuals we

tend to focus on external factors but internal

factors may be even more crucial.”

We host Dialogue sessions on a continuous basis

to engage with key stakeholders from public

and private sector, civil society and academia on

matters requiring effective leadership. Dialogue

including inter-generational is essential for

effective leadership. Mandela believed in the

importance of dialogue: “The leader gets things

done by consulting, listening, setting objectives

and insisting on delivery.

”This he learnt by watching tribal council as a

young boy raised in the palace of King Jongintaba

Dalindyebo. “Development can no longer be

regarded as the Responsibility of Government

Alone. It Requires a Partnership of Government

with its Social Partners: Private sector, Labour and

Non-Governmental Organizations.”

Mandela Talks is a platform for innovative

developmental ideas and insights to be shared

digitally. Potential solutions and ideas identified

and arising from the dialogue sessions and

Mandela Talks would be further researched

within the Leading Like Mandela Think Tank in

collaboration with affiliated universities and

other think tanks.


The Leadership Network is a professional

community of all leaders that have either been

on this training, participated in the dialogue

sessions, Mandela Talks, research and think

tanks, events or volunteers who would like to

contribute to further developing leadership

either by mentoring or grooming other leaders

and the youth, offering their advice, insights and

wisdom.

Leaving a Legacy identifies and champions

specific sustainable development legacy

projects that support national and regional

development agendas and the attainment of the

UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Nelson Mandela’s leadership style reflected

his reverence and deep understanding of the

oneness and interconnectedness of all humanity.

As the world undergoes a global reset and

strives to address the impact and devastating

effects of climate change and the current

COVID Pandemic, we take guidance and

inspiration from Nelson Mandela,

“We know it well that none of us acting alone

can achieve success. We must therefore act

together as united people … for the birth of

a new world…”

“In Africa there is a concept known as Ubuntuthe

profound sense that we are human only

through the humanity of others; that if we are to

accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal

measure be due to the work and achievements of

others…..It asserts that the common ground of

our humanity is greater and more enduring than

the differences that divide us. It is so, and it must

be so, because we share the same fateful human

condition. Though we differ across cultures and

faiths, and though history has divided rich from

poor, free from unfree, powerful from powerless

and race from race, we are still all branches on

the same tree of Humanity,” Nelson Mandela.

“

It is in your hands to

create a better world

for all who live in it,”

Nelson Mandela

(Website: www.leadinglikemandela.com)

Liaqat Alli Azam, CEO – Leading Like Mandela

It is in this spirit that Thembekile Mandela

Foundation and “Leading Like Mandela” extend

and offer our hands in partnership to develop

values-based, transformational, mindful and

integrated leaders to address the common

challenges we face as humanity and support the

creation of a better world for all. Iit is truly in our

hands now. Let us become leaders who lead like

Mandela.


50 KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID & RELIEF CENTRE

KING

SALMAN HUMANITARIAN

AID & RELIEF CENTRE

Improving Humanitarian

responses in light of the

increasingly complex nature of

global emergencies

By Susan Novela

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief

Centre (KS Relief) was established by King

Salman bin Abdul-Aziz in 2015. The Supervisor

General of the KS Relief is Abdullah bin Abdul-

Aziz Al Rabeeah.

The centre was established in the framework

of the Saudi Kingdom’s efforts to alleviate the

suffering of those in need worldwide.

Since its establishment, KS Relief has assisted

44 countries and spent $3.25 billion on 1,011

projects. KS relief has carried out 1,556 relief

projects worth more than $5 billion, benefitting

more than 513 million people around the world.

KS Relief implemented the projects directly or

through its partners in targeted countries.

The centre is the only safe bridge to aid

people abroad and mainly works to relieve

people in conflict zones, especially in Yemen.

Advisor at the Royal Court & Supervisor General of King Salman Relief Center

Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Rabeeah, Photos By Jaco Klamer, klamer-staal.nl

In Ramadan 2019, KS Relief provided free food

baskets to Muslims in 13 countries to a total

amount of $14million. KS Relief is a partner

to a number of humanitarian organizations

including, the World Food Program, the United

Nations High Commission for Refugees, the

United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund, the

International Committee of the Red Cross and

many others.

KS Relief has concluded a number of agreements

with the UNHCR that aim at supporting refugees

from Syria, Yemen and Rohingya.

During this difficult covid-19 Pandemic, Saudi

Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief

Centre (KS Relief) delivered medical aid to help

limit the spread of COVID-19 to the Palestinian

health ministry. (SPA) “This comes within the

framework of the humanitarian aid provided

by the Kingdom, through the KS Relief centre,


to stand with brotherly and friendly countries

and peoples in various crises and adversities.”

The centre continues to implement its water and

environmental sanitation project in the Hodeidah

governorate. In Sudan, Khartoum, the King Salman

Humanitarian Aid and Relief centre (KS Relief)

launched a project to combat blindness and

the diseases that cause it. The centre’s volunteer

medical team checked on more than 15,000

patients, performed about 1,200 surgeries, and

distributed up to 3,000 eyeglasses and medicines

for cases that did not require surgery.

The campaign aimed to help low-income families

and individuals who are unable to cover their

treatment in Khartoum, Omdurman and Al-

Kalakila. In Jordan, KS Relief distributed 1,595

winter kits and 3,190 blankets to Syrian and

Palestinian refugees, benefiting 8,035 individuals.

Each kit contains jackets, sweaters, hats and other

clothing in different sizes. Meanwhile, KS Relief

distributed more than 108 tons of food baskets to

displaced people in Yemen’s Aden governorate,

benefiting 6,060 individuals.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and

Relief centre, organises the Forum, a platform

for continued discussion of international

humanitarian policies and practices. It is aimed

at finding practical solutions to develop and

strengthen humanitarian action, make valuable

changes and provide aid in accordance with the

highest standards of quality and efficiency. The

Forum is the first of its kind in the region, draws

on the expertise of individuals and humanitarian

organizations to discuss key issues related to

humanitarian planning and delivery of assistance.

It also encourages participants to develop new

strategies that help reach as many beneficiaries as

possible.

The second edition of the Riyadh

International Humanitarian Forum was

held in March, 2020, in the Saudi capital. The

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief

Centre (KS Relief) organised the forum in

collaboration with the United Nations and

its humanitarian organizations with the

aim of discussing the global humanitarian

relief issues. It also focused on the

exchange of ideas and experiences on how

to build ties and bridge gaps between the

humanitarian and development sectors to

achieve more sustainable results. Finally,

it also highlighted the need to reach

innovative and effective solutions to meet

challenges and difficulties resulting from

disasters, crises, and epidemics.

The Diplomatic Informer Magazine SA

attended the second Riyadh International

Humanitarian Forum, held under the

patronage of the Custodian of the Two

Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz

Al Saud.

H.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia,

attended the Forum.

Photos By Jaco Klamer, klamer-staal.nl

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdul-Aziz,

Governor of Riyadh region inaugurated

the forum in the presence of a number of



From Left: Mark Lowcock, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs & Emergency Relief Cordinator, Supervisor General of King Salman Relief Center Dr. Abdullah

Bin Abdul-Aziz Rabeeah, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization & David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Program,

Photos By Jaco Klamer, klamer-staal.nl

experts, practitioners, academics, researchers,

policy maker.

There were also 1,280 participants representing

80 countries, comprising 228 external bodies

and 156 internal ones, including 21 international

organizations and 46 governments. It further

included officials and heads of international and

UN humanitarian bodies, representatives of civil

society institutions, NGOs, the private sector,

academics, 11 universities, and specialized

research groups.

The second edition of the Riyadh International

Humanitarian Forum also discussed promotion

of innovative humanitarian interventions in

the health field and tackled challenges of

immigration from African countries, and the

protection of children, women, and youth in

conflict and disaster areas.

It focused on the best practices, experiences and

skills of individuals and organizations working in

the humanitarian field and issues pertaining to

the protection of children, women, and youth in

conflict and disaster areas, and evidence-based

professional practice in humanitarian action.

Participants sought to find practical solutions

to the humanitarian challenges facing IDPs

and refugees in their home countries and host

communities.

Attendees included:

• The KS RELIEF General Supervisor Dr Abdullah

Al-Rabiaah, Executive Director of the World

Food Program,

• David Paisley, Director-General of the

International Organization for Migration,

• Antonio Vitorino, and the Director-General of

the World Health Organization,

• Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the

United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees,

• Filippo Grandi, Under-Secretary-General for

Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief

Coordinator

• Mark Lowcock, and

• The Minister of International Cooperation

for the UAE, Reem Al Hashimi.


H.E. Reem Al Hashii, The Minister of International Cooperation for the

UAE delivering her Speech, Photos By Jaco Klamer, klamer-staal.nl

In his opening remarks, the Supervisor General

of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief

Centre (KS Relief), Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, said:

“This Forum is a unique opportunity for global

experts in humanitarian affairs to come together

and find concrete, practical and workable ways

to improve the assistance to those that we

collectively serve.”

“Humanitarian action, development and peace,”

Dr Al Rabeeah continued, “are interlinked.

Most crises in the world are manmade, and

there is a global mandate in the international

community to ensure that the humanitarian

response is as strong as possible. We also need to

act to remove the barriers between humanitarian

aid delivery and development.

Whether in Yemen, Somalia or in the context of

the Syrian crisis, we must act to reinforce the

capacities of host communities, something,

which is often forgotten. Unless we build

these capacities, we will continue to deliver

humanitarian assistance without developing

sustainable solutions.”

The UN Under-Secretary-General representative

for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief

Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, speaking on behalf

of Secretary-General António Guterres, said,

“he was grateful to the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia for its generous support to the UN, and

particularly for it extensive humanitarian work in

Yemen. This region is becoming an increasingly

important humanitarian hub.” He added that the

human suffering witnessed today is being driven

by various causes.

“The only way to respond to these humanitarian

challenges is by resolving conflict, by taking

action to mitigate the impact of climate

change and by delivering on the Sustainable

Development Goals,” he added

The COVID-19 crisis was also the subject of some

debate. Speaking about public response to the

issue, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said,

“We need to go into the numbers, we need to go

into the facts, and do the right thing instead of

panicking. Panic and fear are the worst.”



system.

This includes the implementation of the Finance

Agreement, the Administrative Accountability

Framework, and the United Nations Framework

for Sustainable Development to enhance

cooperation between human development

and peace, reduce people’s needs and risks

over several years, It also aims to continue

to call for enhanced cooperation between

development, humanitarian and peace efforts

to reduce Humanitarian risks and vulnerabilities

over several years based on the comparative

advantage of a variety of actors.

THIS WOULD BE THROUGH THE COLLECTIVE

OF CLEAR AND MEASURABLE RESULTS

THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT

OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

THAT ARE BASED ON THE ENHANCED

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS.

The Minister of International Cooperation for the UAE, H.E Reem Al Hashimi

& Founder & CEO of The Diplomatic Informer Magazine, Susan Novela.

Photo By Abdullah@whitedeerco.com

It was also announced that, in line with the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s pioneering role in

the humanitarian field, the Custodian of the Two

Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, will

sponsor the upcoming UN pledging conference

to fund the 2020 Yemen Humanitarian Response

Plan.

KS RELIEF SIGNED AGREEMENTS WITH

SEVERAL OF ITS IMPORTANT PARTNERS,

INCLUDING THE UNPF, UNICEF, UNRWA

AND OTHERS; THESE AGREEMENTS COVER

MANY HUMANITARIAN SECTORS AND WILL

PROVIDE URGENT ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE

IN NEED AROUND THE WORLD.

At the end of the sessions, the Forum issued

“Riyadh Declaration,” which included four main

recommendations. The first was to strengthen

the link between humanitarian and development

work through the full implementation of the

obligations of the United Nations General

Assembly Resolution 72/279 regarding the

restoration of the United Nations development

It also included the continued strengthening

of humanitarian and development cooperation

to achieve greater coherence and efficiency in

humanitarian and development work in crises.

This is in addition to the transition to longterm

sustainable development to reduce risks

and build resilience, through the Joint Steering

Committee led by the United Nations Office for

the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

This is part and parcel of the United Nations

Development Program. It also entailed the

establishment of effective communication

channels between organizations, bodies and

societies involved in humanitarian work and

their counterparts from development agencies

to ensure effective and united efforts to reach

beneficiaries.The second recommendation

embodied the importance of promoting health in

the human context through focusing on infectious

diseases, and using sustainable development

goals as a tool to support integrated cooperative

approaches to develop a sustainable framework

for eliminating infectious diseases. Furthermore,

it focused on the exchange of important

information from early warning systems to ensure

early interventions and disease control in a more

effective way from all actors and stakeholders.


Improving humanitarian responses in

light of the increasingly complex

nature of global

emergencies was the

leading theme of the second

RiyadhInternational Humanitarian

Forum, in Riyadh.

Advisor at the Royal Court & Supervisor General of King Salman Relief Center

Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Rabeeah with Founder & CEO of

The Diplomatic Informer Magazine, Susan Novela,

Photo By Jaco Klamer, klamer-staal.nl

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WHO

LAUDS

SOUTH

AFRICA’S

COVID-19

RESPONSE

By Moses Mudzwiti

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World

Health Organization. Photo By: Jaco Klamer, klamer-staal.nl

When Scientists first identified the

Corona Virus (Covid-19) was in

China and it began spreading

all over the world, South Africa

emerged as a leading nation

in taking measures to curb the spread. Just

months into the pandemic, the World Health

Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros

Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised President Cyril

Ramaphosa for South Africa’s swift response.

This was after the South African government

imposed a hard lockdown from 26 March 2020

– a little more than three months since the first

Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China.

Announcing the 21-day lockdown, President

Cyril Ramaphosa said: “This is a decisive measure

to save millions of South Africans from infection

and save the lives of hundreds of thousands

of people.” “While this measure will have a

considerable impact on people’s livelihoods, on

the life of our society and on our economy, the

human cost of delaying this action would be

far, far greater,” said Ramaphosa, who took over

as AU chair just a month after the first case was

confirmed in Africa.

At that time, the number of confirmed Covid-19

cases in South Africa had increased six-fold in just

eight days from 61 cases to 402 cases. Impressed

with the swift action to curb the spread of the

deadly virus, Dr Ghebreyesus appealed to South

Africans to adhere to the measures implemented

to curb the spread of the virus.


SOUTH AFRICA

“I thank President Cyril Ramaphosa for his

leadership and all of the South African

government, and all of society’s Covid-19

response with citizens doing their best to adhere

to the measures taken to contain the Corona

Virus,” Dr Ghebreyesus tweeted in April 2020.

In another tweet, Dr Ghebreyesus said: “Today a

massive door-to-door campaign to test identify

Covid-19 patients in South Africa has started.

Those who test positive will be isolated and

receive necessary care, and their contacts will be

traced.”

He added: “10,000 health workers already

deployed and more will be trained to support

the South African Covid-19 response. I join

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appreciation of all

health professionals who are supporting the

response and keeping their nation safe from the

coronavirus.”

Ramaphosa rallied residents of South Africa to

adhere to the lockdown regulations that required

everyone – except essential workers - to remain

at their homes. “We are entering a new phase; in

the coming days government will be rolling out

screening, testing on a huge scale.

Health workers will be visiting villages and

towns to test people for Covid-19,” Ramaphosa

said at the time.

“Around 10,000 field workers will be visiting

homes in villages, towns and cities to screen

residents for Covid-19 symptoms. People with

symptoms will be referred to local clinics or

mobile clinics for testing. ”People who are

infected with Corona Virus, but who have no

or have moderate symptoms will remain in

isolation at home or at a facility provided by

government, and those with severe symptoms

will be transferred to hospitals.”

Given the early success South Africa enjoyed in

combating the virus, it was not a coincidence

that Africa – with Ramaphosa at the helm of the

AU – averted a predicted catastrophe. Analysts

had warned that Africa would suffer the most

from the pandemic because many countries on

the continent have poor health care systems.

Contrary to expectations, India, Brazil, the US

and some European countries have been hit the

hardest.

Undeterred by the grim predictions, Ramaphosa

galvanised African countries to act as a unit

in tackling the deadly virus and procuring the

necessary therapeutics as well as protective

equipment. More recently, Africa has managed

to secure millions of vaccines and many countries

have already embarked on vaccinations.

African countries came together to fight the

pandemic. They drew on their own expertise,

capabilities and institutions including the Africa

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa

CDC).

“Africa did not sit by passively as the true extent

and danger of the pandemic unfurled. From the

earliest days of the pandemic and led by the AU,

we swiftly developed a continental response

strategy, driven by the Africa CDC and regional

task forces,” explained Ramaphosa.

Just over a year later, South Africa and the rest

of the continent are relatively managing the

pandemic. With many countries and businesses

opening up, indications are that economies

have begun to recover – thanks to South African

President Ramaphosa’s able leadership.

• As of 28 April 2021, Africa had recorded

3,244,774 Cumulative cases. The current

population of Africa is 1,366,615,222.

• South Africa, which is home to a population

of about 60 million, has recorded just more

than one and half million confirmed Covid-19

cases, with 1,501,185 recoveries.


58 CELEBRATING MANDELA MONTH

Deputy Minister of international Relations and Cooperations Candice

Mashego-Dlamini & His Excellency Ambassador of the State of Qatar to

South Africa Mr Tariq Al Ansari

CELEBRATING

NELSON MANDELA

By Susan Novela

MONTH

left

THE EMBASSY OF THE STATE

OF QATAR DONATES MEDICAL

EQUIPMENT TO THE LATE

PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA’S

HOME QUNU CLINIC IN THE

EASTERN CAPE

The Embassy of Qatar in Pretoria donated

a brand new ambulance, operating vehicles,

medical equipment to the Qunu

Clinic in the Eastern Cape in honour of Mandela

month. The latter included wheelchairs, blood

pressure monitoring machines, laptops, microwaves,

medical waste bins, washing machines,

tumble dryer and medical fridge. The clinic

serves an average of 70 people a day.

The donation was handed over to Thembekile

Mandela Foundation that is headed by the late

Nelson Mandela’s Eldest grandchild Ms. Ndileka

Mandela. The Project is a joint initiative between

The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Pretoria and

The Thembekile Mandela Foundation and coordinated

by the Diplomatic Informer Magazine SA

as part of the publication’s contribution to social

responsibility.

to right: Chief of State Protocol & Acting Director General,

Ambassador Ms. Nonceba Losi, Deputy Minister of international

Relations and Cooperations Candice Mashego-Dlamini, Founder &

CEO of Thembekile Mandela Foundation, H.E Ambassador of the

State of Qatar to South Africa Mr Tariq Al Ansari

BRAND NEW DONATED WHEEL-CHAIRS


CELEBRATING MANDELA

BRAND NEW DONATED AMBULANCE MOTOR VIHYCLE

BRAND NEW DONATED MICROWAVES & BINS

BRAND NEW DONATED LAPTOPS

From Left - Right, Susan Novela, Founder & CEO, The Diplomatic

Informer Magazine SA, Dr. Azam CEO Leading Like Mandela,

Felix Novela, Marketing Director Diplomatic Informer Magazine,

Ms. Ndileka Mandela Founder & CEO of Thembekile Mandela

Foundation, H.E. Ambassador Tariq Al-Ansari of Qatar & Ms. Sana

Ibrahim Ali Al-Malki, First Secretary, Qatar Embassy

The State of Qatar puts Education, Health and

Social Services at the center of the Country’s Vision

2030. In recognition of Nelson Mandela’s Month

and the Former Iconic Leader’s significant work,

the Embassy of the State of Qatar aims at further

strengthening friendship, and cultural ties, in joint

projects.

The Deputy Minister of International Relations

and Cooperation Ms. Candice Mashego-Dlamini

attended the handover ceremony. In her remarks,

the Deputy Minister said Diplomatic Relations

between South Africa and Qatar, which were

established in 1994, have grown over the past

27 years.

Referring to the Civid-19 pandemic, the Deputy

Minister Candice Mashego-Dlamini said this

global crisis requires a global solution whereby

all nations work together to defeat the virus and

mitigate its devastating impact on human life and

livelihoods. The past year has been very challenging

and we all have had to endure the devastating

effects that have caused us all to appreciate the

true value of our international partnerships.

Deputy Minister Candice Mashego-Dlamini

expressed South Africa’s appreciation and particularly

the Qatar and Qunu project and said, we

are pleased that some of those solutions that

President Cyril Ramaphosa had highlighted in his

SONA 2019 speech could become a reality for the

people of this historically important community

of our country.


60 CELEBRATING MANDELA MONTH

It is important that the private sector, business,

and civil society are also able put their shoulders

to the wheel.

“I learnt this from my grandfather because he

believed that we need to be able to roll out services

across the country and not only in urban

areas.

For me rural areas are very close to me, because

I grew up there and I know the terrain. So

Ambassador I cannot thank you enough. For me

it is a short space of time within which this was

delivered that is impressive – just four months,” she

added. In his remarks, His Excellency Ambassador

Tariq Al-1Ansari said the support of the health

sector was an integral part of the policy of Qatar,

which is stipulated in the government’s national

strategy. This is further articulated in the sectoral

strategy of the international cooperation.

Ms. Sana Ibrahim Ali Al-Malki, First Secretary, Qatar Embassy,

Ms. Ndileka Mandela, Founder & CEO of Thembekile Mandela Foundation,

“An Ambulance that can rush the sick to the clinic,

an emergency vehicle that can be put to the benefit

of the community when crisis occurs, or a single

computer can make a huge difference in the life

of the community of Qunu. It is therefore touching

to see that our leaders’ vision is playing out

at grassroots level, with this welcome donation

to the Qunu Clinic. She extended her gratitude

to Ambassador Al Ansari for Qatar’s support to

South Africa through its pledge of a generous

contribution to the Solidarity Fund: Humanitarian

Crisis Relief Fund, following the recent incidents of

civil unrest that South Africa experienced recently.

“The State of Qatar has proven to be a dedicated

partner for South Africa over the past 27 years and

your prompt reaction to assist us in our time of

need bears testimony to the strength of the relationship

between our two countries,” said Deputy

Minister. Speaking at the handover, Ms. Mandela,

Founder & CEO of the Thembekile Mandela

Foundation welcomed the donation noting that

it cannot be left only to the government to do

everything.

Thanks to the leadership of His Highness Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani the Emir of the State

of Qatar and to the very strong partnership

between the two states, initiated by the two

respective founding Fathers Late President Nelson

Mandela and the late Highness Sheikh Jassim bin

Mohammed bin Thani, we have a fitting living

legacy. “We were also glad when His Excellency,

Honourable President Cyril Ramaphosa, participated

in Qatar’s Economic Forum last month. For

me as the Ambassador of Qatar in South Africa,

I am entrusted with the very important task of

enhancing the relationship between Qatar and

South Africa. I am very glad that in a few months

we will have political consultation, which we could

agree to escalate to the Foreign Ministerial level

between the two countries. We have around 24

MOUs and Agreements to sign and rectify during

this political consultation, something I am glad

about, “Said Ambassador Al-Ansari.

He further intimated that the Tripartite cooperation

among political entities, responsible and

constructive civil society and the media would

always bear fruit. He shared that the occasion was

a living example of that partnership. He concluded

by reaffirming the importance of continuation of

support to people in need and to serve humanity,

and lauded the work of the Foundation.


SOUTH AFRICA

BIOVAC

SA COMPANY TO BECOME THE FIRST COMPANY TO MANUFACTURE

AND DISTRIBUTE PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE WITHIN AFRICA

BY Susan Novela

A Specialist South African Based company Biovac

will become the first company in Africa to produce

an mRNA-based vaccine. Biovac is based in

Cape Town, South Africa, and has been appointed

to manufacture the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19

Vaccine, for distribution within the African continent.

The development makes Biovac the first

company set to commence technical transfer activities

soon, which include on-site development

and equipment installation activities. Biovac will

obtain drug substances (the active ingredients)

from facilities in Europe, and manufacturing of

finished doses will commence in 2022.

At full operational capacity, the annual Covid-19

vaccine production will exceed 100 million finished

doses annually. The company will distribute

all doses exclusively within the 55 member

states that make up the African Union. Biovac

expects to bring the facility into the Pfizer-BioN-

Tech supply chain by the end of 2021. “We are

thrilled to collaborate with Pfizer and BioNTech

to produce and distribute the Pfizer-BioNTech

Covid-19 Vaccine within Africa,” said Dr Morena

Makhoana, CEO of Biovac. “This is a testament

to the long-standing relationship we have had

with Pfizer through the Prevenar 13 vaccine. It is

a critical step forward to strengthen sustainable

access to a vaccine in the fight against this tragic,

worldwide pandemic,” she added.

“We believe this collaboration will create an opportunity

to distribute more broadly vaccine

doses to people in hard-to-reach communities,

especially those on the African continent,” she

further intimated.,Albert Bourla, Chairman and

Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer said, “From day

one, our goal has been to provide fair and equitable

access of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine

to everyone, everywhere.”

“Our latest collaboration with Biovac is a shining

example of the tireless work being done, in this

instance to benefit Africa. We will continue to

explore and pursue opportunities to bring new

partners into our supply chain network, including

in Latin America, to further accelerate access

of Covid-19 vaccines,” he continued.

Ugur Sahin, MD, CEO and Co-founder of BioN-

Tech said, “We aim to enable people on all continents

to manufacture and distribute our vaccine

while ensuring the quality of the manufacturing

process and the doses.” He further added, “We

believe that our mRNA technology can be used

to develop vaccine candidates addressing other

diseases as well. “This is why we will continue to

evaluate sustainable approaches that will support

the development and production of mRNA

vaccines on the African continent,” he concluded.

Biovac has a long-standing relationship with Pfizer

that commenced with local distribution activities

in 2008 of Prevenar to the Department of

Health. This evolved into a successful technology

transfer agreement for Prevenar 13. This latest

agreement strengthens the already existing relationship

and enables Biovac to widen its existing

footprint in Africa, which aligns with the company’s

long-standing vision to be a local manufacturer

with regional presence and relevance.

About four million South Africans have been vaccinated

against Covid-19 so far in a population of

about 60 million. Biovac was established in 2003

as a public-private partnership between the SA

government and a private consortium with the

aim of reviving local human vaccine production

in Southern Africa.


62 WOMEN’S LEARDERSHIP

More reasons to do the right thing

There has been a significant change in

attitudes towards women in leadership positions

over the last few years in the world. Whereas

previously much of the debate centred on the

fact that equality of opportunity was the right

thing to do, and a worthy goal in itself, the

conversation has become more nuanced.

This is due to two factors: firstly, a growing

recognition that the justice of equality is selfevident,

and should be almost too obvious

to need reiterating; and secondly, multiple

studies, which have pointed to the tangible

and quantifiable benefits associated with more

women in leadership positions at every level in

society.

Women’s

LEADERSHIP

By Dr Florence Nisabwe

Embassy of Burundi in Pretoria

Photo Supplied by: Dr Nisabwe

have experienced conflict such as civil wars and

genocide. Africa’s post-colonial history contains

many such traumatic events, and these have

disproportionately affected women (and children).

Ethnic cleansing and the weaponisation of sexual

assault have set back the cause of women’s

leadership in many countries.

In fact, any social upheaval, however caused, ca

undo progress that has been made in this vital

area: the current coronavirus pandemic is judged

to have rolled back achievements in the UNDP’s

SDG goals by up to a decade. This is through a

combination of factors including the very high

numbers of women working in essential roles

(especially in healthcare) and the fact that they

are underrepresented at a decision-making

level in the very industries that rely on their

contribution.

CURRENT STATUS

Despite this normalisation of acceptance,

women continue to be under-represented as

entrepreneurs as well as wage earners. It is

estimated that up to 1 billion women are artificially

prevented from entering the paid labour force

worldwide. Barriers include traditional genderstereotyped

roles, male hegemony in traditionally

structured societies, and a lack of access for

women to the resources they need to overcome

these systemic barriers - education, finance and

assistance with childcare.

POST-CONFLICT MEDIATION:

FROM VICTIMS TO PEACEMAKERS

Often, there are issues in societies that need to be

addressed in order to create an environment that

is conducive to increased female representation

in business. This is especially true in countries that

There is a vicious circle at work here: women’s lack

of access to resources makes it harder for them

to develop resilience in the face of community

or individual trauma. At the same time, as noncombatants,

women are less likely to be involved

in conventional warfare – but far more likely

to be targeted by armies or militias seeking

to demoralise the enemy or force population

groups out of a specific area.

These conflicts are often followed by incomplete

or fragile ceasefires – and it is when the shooting

has stopped that women have a vital role to play.

Where they have been able to participate in

mediation efforts, the ‘female skills’ of empathy,

compromise-seeking and collaboration can help

ensure a lasting farewell to arms.The greater the

degree of women’s involvement in peace talks,

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP

the more resilient the peace itself is likely to be

due to women’s,greater dispute resolution skills,

and their acute understanding of the potential

consequences for themselves and their families

should hostilities resume.

The good news While these setbacks may

dominate the headlines, we must see them

in the context of a general trend that is much

more positive - increasing numbers of women

entrepreneurs and leaders in African nations

and other emerging economies. This trend has

provided researchers with more subjects for study,

which in turn has given rise to concrete evidence

of the benefits of having more women leaders.

At last, it we can state as an incontrovertible fact

that having women in positions of leadership

has multiple, positive impacts. It can no longer

be regarded as merely a ‘nice to have’ or even an

‘ought to have.’

Female leaders (of both SMEs and

community initiatives) are a must-have. Two

of the key arguments in favour of providing

the training and mentoring that women

require in order to fulfil their potential as

entrepreneurs

(and subsequently, as investors) are as

follows:

COMPANIES WITH MORE FEMALE

REPRESENTATION AT SENIOR LEVELS, PERFORM

BETTER

This holds true for every size of enterprise, and is

reflected in companies’ financial performance. A

more diverse decision-making team is less likely

to fall victim to groupthink, and more likely to

innovate, find new opportunities, recommend

more creative solutions, and perpetuate this

virtuous cycle by encouraging greater diversity

in talent recruitment and retention.

WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO INVEST THEIR

INCOME IN THEIR FAMILIES

This leads directly to better outcomes for

children and communities. Where female social

entrepreneurship is a feature of a community,

multiple indicators of quality of life can be seen

to move in a positive direction. These include

school attendance, crime rates, and public

health.

DO NOT MAN THE BARRICADES; REMOVE

THEM!

While the specific barriers to increased female

leadership may vary from country to country (and

can include religious and social mores, tradition,

and lack of access to media and hence to different

ways of thinking), certain factors are widespread

enough to be thought of as universal challenges.

This category covers access to skills training

and business finance, as mentioned earlier. The

challenge of overcoming these systemic factors

must be evaluated in proportion to the potential

benefits of having more women in leadership

roles and positions of influence – not just in postconflict

societies, but also in any situation that

has not previously benefited from more diverse

decision-making.

ONE SMALL STEP FOR WOMAN, GIANT

BENEFITS FOR HUMANKIND

In the same way that a snowball rolling downhill

collects more snow, female entrepreneurship

and leadership gather momentum. That is largely

due to some of the ‘female characteristics’ we

mentioned earlier. Not only do women often

have excellent empathy and communication skills,

but they can also choose to exercise powerful

nurturing forces.

Women tend to share what they have learned

with other women. In this way, mentoring one

woman can be the equivalent of giving that

snowball a push to set it rolling. In smaller,

tight-kit communities (in all probability, held

together by women) that ‘nudge’ can be all that

is needed to implement a culture of female

leadership – along with all the economic and

social benefits that – as the evidence shows –

will flow from this.


64 EMBAASSY TALK SAUDI ARABIA

THE EMBASSY

OF SAUDI ARABIA

IN PRETORIA CELEBRATED THE

G20 ACHIEVEMENTS

By Moses Mudzwiti

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - President of

G20 in 2020 - successfully coordinated an

international response to address global

challenges presented by the COVID-19

pandemic. As a result, the Kingdom has

been able to focus on Vision 2030, which

closely aligns with G20 objectives that

include macroeconomic stability, sustainable

development, empowerment of women,

enhanced human capital and increased flow

of trade and investment.

Ambassador Al-Angari said under the Saudi Vision

2030 the Kingdom was undertaking a major

social and economic transformation. “Right now,

as we speak, the Kingdom is busy implementing

a wide range of reforms to increase economic

growth, empower women and youth, among

others, ” said Al-Angari.

“This means that the G20 agenda has a strong

resonance with the daily lives of the people of

the Kingdom.

In a speech to commemorate Saudi Arabia’s

presidency of the G20 2020, which began in

December 2019, the kingdom’s Ambassador to

South Africa Saal Al-Angari said: “Saudi Arabia

was determined to achieve the original theme

of this year’s presidency, which was: Realising

Opportunities of the 21st century for All”. Saudi

Arabia has one of the youngest populations of

any of the G20 countries that include Argentina,

Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European

Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,

Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea,

Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United

States.


“Simply put, the Kingdom’s Vision 2030

closely aligns with the core G20 objectives

of macroeconomic stability, sustainable

development, empowerment of women,

enhanced human capital, and increased flow

of trade and investment.” Al-Angari said

the Kingdom’s presidency of the G20 took

place during a very stressful time - during the

unprecedented crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Despite all these challenges, the Kingdom,

with its G20 partners, has demonstrated great

leadership by emphasising the concepts of

solidarity, collectiveness, multilateralism, and

creation of an appropriate international platform

to contain the coronavirus crisis,” said Al-Angari.

“In this context,

in April 2020, the kingdom announced its pledge

of US$ 500 million to support the efforts to

combat the pandemic and reinforce emergency

preparedness and response.”

Al-Angari said the kingdom, most known for

being the birthplace of Islam, also coordinated

international efforts to combat the COVID-19

pandemic. These efforts have curbed the

pandemic’s humanitarian and economic impact.

“Collectively, the G20 has contributed over US$21

billion to support the production, distribution of,

and access to diagnostics, therapy, and vaccines,”

said Al-Angari.

The ambassador said the G20 has injected US$ 11

trillion to safeguard the global economy. He said

to minimise the spread of the deadly coronavirus,

meetings have been held virtually. “These stressful

times of Covid-19 forced us to go virtual,” said Saal

Al-Angari. The ambassador said more than 100

working groups and ministerial meetings were

held virtually.

The G20 2020 Leaders’ Summit, to be chaired by

King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, will also

be held virtually between November 21 and 22.

Al-Angari said the success of the Saudi Arabian

presidency of the G20 2020 would not have been

achieved without the remarkable participation

of the G20 members and“In this regard, I would

like to acknowledge the participation of the

Government of the Republic of South Africa in

various G20 activities,” said Al-Angari.

“In particular, the active participation of the

South African delegation, led by Her Excellency

the Minister of International Relations and

Cooperation, at the G20 Foreign Ministers’

Meeting last month.

“Once again, I would like to extend sincere

gratitude to our friends and partners for making

the Saudi Arabian presidency of the G20 2020 a

remarkable success.”

Commenting on the presidency, the King of Saudi

Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said: “In hosting its

first G20 Presidency, the kingdom has a key role to

bring forward the perspectives of the Middle East

and North African regions, as well as the views of

developing countries.” King Salman bin Abdulaziz

Al Saud said the G20 provides the appropriate

leadership in a complex and rapidly changing

global environment by bringing together the

major emerging and developed economies of

the world. “More than ever, the world needs the

G20 to provide a strong impetus to international

cooperation,” said the king. “In the context of

economic and geopolitical uncertainties, G20

members face many common and pressing

challenges: uncertain economic growth prospects

and persistent financial vulnerabilities. “A lack

of opportunities for underserved groups of the

population, especially women and youth, with

the associated risk of social exclusion.”

HE Ambassador Mr. Sultan Al Angari of Saudi Arabia &

Trudi Makhanya (Economic Advisor to President Cyril Ramaphosa)


66 EMBAASSY TALK SAUDI ARABIA

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud also

warned of climate and natural disaster threats.

demographic challenges, rising trade tensions,

and a highly promising but also disruptive wave

of innovation.

“Our collective responsibility is to build a solid

momentum for cooperation,” said the king. “We

need to address those challenges together, to

work for the global public interest and to boldly

lead towards new frontiers. “While G20 members

have different national priorities and social and

economic conditions, we have shared strategic

interests in addressing such challenges.”

THE SAUDI G20 PRESIDENCY PROPOSED:

• Focus on where the G20 can make a difference and

deliver concrete actions, by prioritising critical issues

for people and planet earth, which can be achieved

through global cooperation

• Cooperate to forge consensus on challenging

issues and engage with relevant stakeholders,

non-G20 countries, business, and civil society

• Adopt results-oriented, forward-looking, and

sustainable perspectives, prepare for long-term

policies and avoid excessive short-termism; and

• Stand fully prepared to take preventive measures

and address consequences of unforeseen

circumstances affecting the global economy.

Accordingly, building on the legacy of previous

presidencies.

• The Saudi G20 Presidency will steer the work of the

G20 towards “Realising Opportunities of the 21st

Century for All.” Our collective roadmap will focus on

three aims:

• Empowering People by unleashing opportunities

for all. The G20 will aim to create the conditions

in which all people can live, work and thrive. This

includes driving further ambition to empower both

women and youth, encourage quality jobs and

social protection for all workers, promote education

and skills, enable person-cantered health systems,

scale-up efforts for sustainable development, and

foster inclusive and sustainable tourism.

• Safeguarding the Planet by fostering collective

efforts to protect our global commons. This

includes advancing synergies between adaptation

and mitigation efforts to tackle climate change,

protecting the environment by taking concrete

actions, promoting cleaner and more sustainable

energy systems and affordable energy access,

promoting water sustainability and reducing food

loss and waste.

• Shaping New Frontiers by adopting long-term,

bold strategies to utilize and share the benefits of

innovation where international collaboration is

vital for tackling its challenges, while harnessing

the benefits of digitalisation across the economy,

encouraging the adoption of new technologies

in infrastructure, keeping pace with advances in

artificial intelligence, and developing smart cities.

Trudi Makhanya

(Economic Advisor to President Cyril Ramaphosa

• The Saudi G20 Presidency is also committed to

having an open dialogue on Space and exploring

potential avenues for economic cooperation


PRESIDENT

TOKAYEV

SIGNS HUMAN RIGHTS DECREE

By: Susan Novela

H.E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President

of Kazakhstan, has signed a Decree “On further

measures of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the

field of human rights”.

The Decree instructs the Government to

approve the Plan of Priority Measures in

the Field of Human Rights (Action Plan),

which envisages the implementation of the following

key tasks:

• Improving the mechanisms of interaction

with the UN treaty bodies and special

procedures of the UN Human Rights Council;

• Ensuring the rights of victims of human

trafficking;

• Human rights of citizens with disabilities;

• The elimination of discrimination against

women;

• The right to freedom of association;

• The right to freedom of expression;

• The human right to life and public order;

• Increasing the efficiency of interaction with

non governmental organisations;

• Human rights in criminal justice and

enforcement, an prevention of torture

and ill-treatment.

According to the Decree, the Office

of the President of Kazakhstan will

be responsible for overseeing the

implementation of the Action Plan.

The government will submit to the

presidential administration a report on

the work carried out to implement the

Plan on an annual basis. The issue of the

protection of human rights has been a

priority for President Tokayev since his

election as Head of State in June 2019.

He highlighted specific plans for government

actions aimed at addressing human rights issues

through legislation during a second meeting of the

National Council of Public Trust (December 2019).

The President also spoke about human rights issues

during his annual State-of-the-Nation Address in

September 2020.In particular, he instructed the

government to take comprehensive measures to

protect citizens, especially children, from cyberbullying,

combat human trafficking and torture.


68 HUMAN RIGHTS DECREE

In February 2021, at the fifth meeting of the National

Council of Public Trust, the President proposed a

new package of measures aimed at enhancing

human rights protection for convicted persons,

as well as strengthening legal mechanisms for the

protection of the rights of women.

The adoption of the 9th June Decree further formalises

human rights as one of the basic priorities

of state policy. The implementation of its provisions

will further promote the protection of human

rights in Kazakhstan and contribute towards

building a just and progressive state.

IN ORDER TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FIELD

OF HUMAN RIGHTS, I DECREE:

1. To the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

1) to approve the Plan of Priority Measures in the

Field of Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as the

Action Plan), which envisages the following areas

of work: improving the mechanisms of interaction

with the UN treaty bodies and special procedures

of the UN Human Rights Council;

ensuring the rights of victims of human trafficking;

human rights of citizens with disabilities; the

elimination of discrimination against women;

the right to freedom of association; the right to

freedom of expression; the human right to life

and public order; increasing the efficiency of

interaction with non-governmental organisations;

human rights in criminal justice, enforcement and

prevention of torture and ill-treatment;

2) ensure the implementation of the Action Plan;

3) annually, by January 25, based on the results

of the year, submit to the Office of the President

of the Republic of Kazakhstan information on the

implementation of the Action Plan;

DECREE ON FURTHER

MEASURES OF

THE REPUBLIC

OF

KAZAKHSTAN

IN THE FIELD OF

HUMAN RIGHTS

2. Control over the implementation of this Decree

shall be entrusted to the Office of the President of

the Republic of Kazakhstan. 3. This Decree comes

into effect from the date of its signing.

ON the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its

independence, Kazakhstan has the honour to

present its candidacy to serve on the United Nations

Human Rights Council for the period 2022-2024, in

view of the forthcoming elections scheduled for

October 2021 in New York.

Overall, Kazakhstan considers human rights as the

foundation for peaceful, inclusive and prosperous

society. It, therefore, accords high priority for

advancing the mutually reinforcing objectives of

development, human rights and democracy.

In its candidature to the Human Rights Council,

Kazakhstan emphasizes various human rights

voluntary pledges and commitments.

4) take other measures to implement this Decree.


PREVIOUSLY

PUBLISHED BY SUSAN NOVELA

IN THE PRETORIA NEWS

on the 18 June 2021

VOLUNTARY PLEDGES AND COMMITMENTS OF

THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL FOR THE PERIOD 2022-2024

This arises from the fact that upholding universal

human rights has been a priority commitment of

Kazakhstan since the inception of its statehood,

soon after which, the country joined the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights, the International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the

International Covenant on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights and other relevant UN human

rights conventions. Comprehensive national

legislation was adopted in keeping with the

highest international standards and has seen their

realization by working very closely with the entire

UN system.

to the mandate of the Council in areas including:

Gender equality and women’s empowerment;

the universal abolition of the death penalty;

the fight against all forms of discrimination

(including racism, sexism, xenophobia and hate

speech); freedom of religion and belief; human

rights in the context of climate change; the fight

against digital inequality, ensuring maximum

access to the Internet and high-quality

communication for all as well as inclusive and

universal education.

If Kazakhstan is granted the privilege to serve

on the United Nations Human Rights Council,

it will strive to fulfil all the expectations of the

international community and make a noteworthy

contribution

PREVIOUSLY

PUBLISHED BY SUSAN NOVELA

IN THE PRETORIA NEWS

on the 18 June 2021

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70 EMBASSY TALK PALESTINE

INTERVIEW WITH HER EXCELLENCY

HANAN JARRAR,

AMBASSADOR OF PALESTINE

TO THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

By Femida Cassim | Photo by: The diplomatic Informer Magazine

The Human Rights

Council has adopted

a resolution to

ensure respect

for international

human rights law

and international humanitarian

law in the Occupied Palestinian

Territory, including East

Jerusalem, and in Israel.

It established an international

commission of inquiry to

investigate violations of

international humanitarian

law and all alleged violations

and abuses of international

human rights law leading up

to and since 13 April 2021, and

all underlying root causes of

recurrent tensions.

The resolution was adopted by

a vote of 24 in favour, 9 against

and 14 abstentions.

The Council decided to

establish urgently an ongoing

independent, international

commission of inquiry, to be

appointed by the President of

the Human Rights Council, to

investigate violations in the

Occupied Palestinian Territory,

including East Jerusalem, and

in Israel.

We caught up with Hanan

Jarrar, Palestinian Ambassador

to South Africa, Namibia and

Lesotho, after the ceasefire to

better understand the situation

civilians have faced on the

ground in Palestine, prior to and

post the ceasefire.

The ceasefire came into force on Friday, 21 May at 2:00 am but the casualties had already been very high.

After 11 days of consecutive heavy airstrikes against civilian targets in Gaza, 255 civilians were killed. 73

Palestinian children were killed during May, and were identified as targets by Israeli soldiers. Unfortunately,

45,000 Palestinians were left with no shelter in Gaza and ended up taking shelter in schools. Around 2,000

residential units were destroyed during the heavy airstrikes – a catastrophe! The ethnic cleansing similar

to what happened in Sheikh Jarrah continued in other areas after the ceasefire in Palestine. Meanwhile, an

Israeli court took a decision to delay taking the forcible eviction of 800 Palestinians in Silwan. The situation

is a continuation of Israeli violations of human rights and commission of war crimes in Palestine, mainly

ethnic cleansing and forcible expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland, according to Palestinian

authorities.

You mentioned Sheikh Jarrah. Please describe

the situation facing civilians even after the

Israeli court decision?

QUESTION 1

The Israeli court postponed its decision on the

Sheikh Jarrah issue when the uprising started.

People were not allowed to get out from the

area, which was announced as a military square.

Palestinian press and media outlets were

prohibited from going inside the Sheikh Jarrah.

We do believe that this is a systematic approach

and policy by the Israeli regime. It will not stop

here.

Even if they postpone the eviction for the time

being because of this wave of unwavering

support for the Palestinians, they might still do it

soon after the outcry eases.


Just so that we can understand from our side,

when these court proceedings take place, is

there any representative from the Palestinian

side there to defend their position? QUESTION 2

There are always Palestinian lawyers who are

defending Palestinian families but in most of

the cases, the Israeli court and judicial system

is involved with the Israeli administration, with

the Israeli army, and with Israeli settlers. So

in all of the cases, the Palestinian point of view

is not heard. When there is an uprising, when

there are people who are raising their voices as

what happened in the neighbourhood of Sheikh

Jarrah, things might be postponed, but it is a

systematic approach.

Has the Palestinian government been

engaging with the other world leaders as well

as the UN? QUESTION 3

Yes of course, we are working on different fronts.

We are working with the ICC. We are working with

the UN General Assembly and we have worked

with the UN Security Council for a resolution

during the attacks.

We are engaging with the EU, engaging with

African countries such as South Africa in

particular, of course, there has been engagement

on different levels.

Our Minister of Foreign Affairs is visiting some

other countries for this purpose. Yes, there

are very, very heavy diplomatic efforts and

nowadays we are engaged with Egypt, which

also announced a package of financial assistance

to start reconstruction work in Gaza, with the

Qatari government and the Kingdom of Jordan.



You mention relations - Could you share more

details about the diplomatic engagements

underway, and do you see some hope from

other countries soon? QUESTION 4

Well, of course, there is always hope. The most

clear political engagement was with the US

administration, which sent its special envoy to

the Middle East to Palestine to meet with the

Palestinian leadership. We have to wait and to see

where this might lead. This is a good engagement

and breakthrough in the relationship between

the US and Palestine. Since there has been a

As for the EU, their position is still very clichéd.

For South Africa, we are working with the Dirco

and we are working with other parties here

to support Palestine on the international

platforms and multilateral platforms. There has

also been engagement with the Arab countries,

as I mentioned, such as Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and

Iraq lately to support Palestine.

This is, as far as I know, the kind of engagement that

is taking place. Moreover, there is engagement

with the ICC to open an investigation in the

latest Israeli heavy airstrikes against Gaza, which

Photo by: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona

blockade or a kind of freezing in the relationship

for the past four years.

Now the issue of Palestine is surfacing in the

United States again, especially after the big

numbers of people who took to the streets

recently in support of and solidarity with the

Palestinian people.

amount to a war crime.

So we are working on different bilateral and

multilateral fronts.

Ambassador, you were talking about all

the hostilities that were taking place on the

ground before the ceasefire.


Are those hostilities continuing during the

ceasefire? Is there someone or an organisation

or within the Palestinian administration,

who is monitoring all of the casualties and

incidents? Are they being documented

QUESTION 5

somewhere?

Yes, of course, we have official bodies, and

we have shadow and non-governmental

organisations that represent us on different

multilateral platforms, such as Al-Meezan in

Gaza, Al-Haq organisation in the West Bank, a

human rights organization in Israel. All these

organizations and civil society are working on

documenting the hostilities and human rights

violations that are taking place in Gaza, Sheikh

Jarrar and Al Aqsa Mosque systematically.

We are preparing files to be presented to the

ICC. One of the major three files that we already

presented, and that we updating systematically

is the file of the war on Gaza. So of course, there

is always documentation to be compiled on this

side, and it is on a high level.

You mentioned files being presented to

the International Criminal Court. There is a

document that has been filed here in South

Africa called the Al Aqsa 2021 docket. Are you

aware of this docket and will the Palestinian

government also be welcoming this move

from South Africa? QUESTION 6

Yes, I am aware of it and I spoke to the

organizations who were working on it, although

not directly with the organization dealing with it,

but with the Palestine Solidarity Alliance, which

they mentioned at some point that they were

an organization or body that has been working

on this. And we discussed the importance of not

wasting the time and effort of people working

on this.

Of course, any effort that exposes the Israeli

violations and the Israeli atrocities against the

Palestinian people is most welcome. Especially,

when it comes from a country such as South

Africa, because we do believe that no one can

understand the plight of the Palestinian people

better than South Africans can because they

were subjected to the same under the Apartheid

regime in the past. And they are the ones who

with the support of the international community

were able to bring the Apartheid regime to an

end. So every effort and every initiative in this

regard is most welcome.

We, as Palestinians, look at South Africa as a

beacon of hope, for our people inside Palestine

back home, and for the 7 million Palestinians

scattered in refuge all over the world. So

definitely, any effort is most welcome.

Ambassador, we have been getting reports

from NGOs working on the ground due to

Israeli occupation, that water and sanitation,

medical and even other supplies are being

denied to Palestinian people. These are

necessities that people require. What efforts

is the Palestinian government making to try

to resolve?

QUESTION 7

Well, the Palestinian government is always trying

its best to sort things out. But it is the Israeli

systematic practice to deny Palestinians access

to their natural resources. You might be aware

that according to the Oslo accord, our areas in

the Palestine land, are divided into three areas

A, B, and C. Area C has seen a compromise of

60% of the Palestinian land. Area C contains

most of the natural resources for the Palestinians

and unfortunately, with the Oslo accord, Israel

is denying us our proper access to our natural

resources. That is why we keep suffering, because

we are hindered by the Oslo accord and its

regulations, which gave Israel unfair rights.

Of course, it does not give them the right to deny

our access, but by de facto, they are trying to

deny the Palestinians access to natural resources.

They give the Israeli settlers living in 30% of

the 22% of land of Palestine, the upper hand to

enjoy resources such as electricity, water, and

many other natural resources at the expense of

the Palestinians. Unfortunately, this is the reality

that we are trying to involve other international

partners to try to find a solution for it, but it is

difficult and challenging most of the time.



This year marked the 73rd anniversary since the

Nakba. In relation to what the Palestinians have

recently faced on the ground, how does it compare

to Nakba?

QUESTION 8

First, we can say that, Sheikh Jarrah and what happened

in Sheikh Jarrah is the continuation of Nakba. Because

what has been done to Sheikh Jarrah is the same as

what was done to Palestinians during the Nakba, or

catastrophe in English, when Israel came and occupied

Palestine in 1948. What they did was displace indigenous

Palestinians from their indigenous land and homes.

During the Nakba in 1948, 750, 000 Palestinians were

expelled from their homeland and scattered all over

the world into refugee camps. And now, these 750,000

Palestinians out there make 7 million Palestinians, still

scattered in refuge, and denied access to their homeland

again.

In other words, they are denied the right of return to

their home and land, because of the Israeli occupation.

The same thing that happened in 1948 is taking place

now in Sheikh Jarrah and in Silwan neighbourhood in

Jerusalem. They are trying to evict Palestinian families

from their own homelands to enable Israeli settlers to

come to take their places and to replace the indigenous

people of Palestine with the settlers coming from around

the globe.

According to the Geneva Convention – it is prohibited

and amounts to a war crime, because the occupying

power is prohibited from uprooting indigenous people

from their own homes and their own lands and replacing

them with the occupying power. So this paints the

same picture with a time lag of 73 years. This month, we

commemorated 73 years of Nakba; seven decades were

characterized by ethnic cleansing, Apartheid, oppression

and systematic aggression against Palestinians.

Photo by: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona


It is true that Nakba is similar to what the Palestinians

are facing now.

We can relate the two events by saying that it is a

vicious cycle perpetuated by Israelis to maintain Jewish

supremacy in the land of Israel, which in other words,

can be called an Apartheid regime.

Two important human rights organizations have

been talking about this - B’Tselem, which is a major

Israeli human rights organization and Israeli human

rights organization, called the area between the

Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, which mainly

comprises the area of Israel, an Apartheid regime, not a

democracy Israel tries to portray it.

Why? Because in this area, Israel is trying to maintain

Jewish supremacy over other peoples, mainly Muslims

and Christian Palestinians.

The other important report in this regard was a report

issued by Human Rights Watch, which was entitled:

”A Threshold crossed” labelled the Israeli activities inside

Palestine, and inside Israel as an Apartheid regime. So

these are the different dynamics that are taking place

right now; people are becoming louder about naming

Israel by that name.

People are not fooled anymore by the mainstream

media who propound propaganda about Israel being

the only democracy in the Middle East.

Things are being exposed, and hopefully we can build

on this exposure with reality.


“

L’Africaine Means: African Woman

L’ AFRICAINE

76 FASHION TALK L’AFRICAINE BOUTIQUE

BOUTIQUE

“

Lush, classy,

exquisite & exclusive

Designer & Founder Diana Mbala

When one walks into the boutique, one is

astounded by the quality and top of the range

garments. From Congolese Ankara and West

African Lace to Egyptian material and Moroccan

velvet, all materials are of the finest quality

sourced from all over the world. The clothes that

you find here are tailor made and unique; they

mix cultures and bringing together different

ethnicities is what we are all about.

The designer and founder Mrs Diana Mbala is

inspired by all things Africa. Through her travels

in Africa, she has experienced different cultures,

bold colors and diversity all of which have

inspired her creativity.

At L’Africaine boutique, we cater for all ages

and genders with our latest addition being the

newborn baby range. Our unique pieces range

from men’s wear, bridal, cocktail & evening

wear, tracksuits, African print bags and shoes.

We aim to sprinkle a touch of Africa all around

and this shows in our diverse range, as we also

have beautiful quilt beddings and professional

business folders that of course have a touch of

Africa.

One of our dreams is to see every woman owning

a piece of gold therefore, all our jewelry is gold

plated with minerals sourced from Belgium. Our

best seller is the Malachite stone from Congo that

people believe have soothing properties.

Her love for Africa, fashion and style birthed

L’Africaine Boutique. Her dream is to leave each

customer feeling strong, confident, unique and

looking breathtakingly beautiful in any one of her

designer pieces. Our logo contains the African

map, which represents us and where we come

from. The strong circle symbolizes unity, which is

our way of life, in our warm hearts and finally in

our exquisite outfits.

Our vision is to grow our fashion empire; our

mission is to bring Africa to the world and our

aim to make African inspired fashion an ongoing

trend worldwide. We would like everyone to be

unique, one of a kind and to be L’Africaine.

BAGS

&

SHOES


MALACHITE

ACCESSORIES

The Cost

Of Living

in South Africa

By Vincent G. Malunga

Cost of living is most often

used to compare life in

different parts of the country

or across different countries

in the world.

You only need to walk the super market

or liquor store aisles to realise how much

things really cost these days in South

Africa. The cost of meat and alcohol for

example, is nothing short of stratospheric, never

mind transport and rental costs that we cannot

escape. Discussing inflation and cost of living is

no longer only the realm of seasoned Economists;

the common person in the street has joined the

bandwagon based on experience.

Anyone, who comes to live in South Africa

whether for a short or longer period needs to

know something about this delicate subject

matter. In this regard, it is important to get

the understanding of the terms right, lest one

butchers the interpretation like expensive

South African beef. The terms are closely related

but not identical. The inflation rate is typically

measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) – a

monthly measure provided by Statistics South

Africa that average the cost of a representative

basket of goods and services from areas around

the country.

It then reports the result as a percentage rise or

fall. It is a broader measure of what is happening

to prices throughout the whole economy.

One way to understand inflation is as a change

in the value of our unit of account, the rand.

When there is inflation, the value of the unit is

smaller each day than it was the day before, for

all transactions.

As www.themaven.net illustrates, imagine that

you woke up one morning to find that someone

had chopped an inch off all our rulers, so that

today’s foot was now only as long as yesterday’s

eleven inches. You might go from being six feet

tall to six-foot-six, but it would not be any easier

for you to reach the top shelf in the kitchen

without a footstool. Similarly, if inflation raises

both your income and the prices of everything

you buy by the same percentage, the value

of a rand as an economic ruler shrinks, but it is

neither harder nor easier to maintain the same

real standard of living. In that sense, inflation

is a purely nominal phenomenon. It becomes

a problem when incomes do not keep up. Cost

of living, on the other hand, is a more focused

concept. This number averages the cost of an

accepted standard of living that includes food,

housing, transportation, taxes and healthcare.

Cost of living is most often used to compare life in

different parts of the country or across different

countries in the world.


80 SOUTH AFRICA

For example, if you make R1,000,000 per year

living in Johannesburg, you could maintain

the same standard of living in Kimberly on say

R500,000. In this case, the cost of living in Kimberly

would be half that of living in Johannesburg.

The cost of living concept arises from the role of

money as a medium of exchange.

When we say the cost of living is increasing, we

mean that it gets harder to maintain a given

standard of living on a given income. We must

either be satisfied with fewer goods or services,

or save less, or work harder. In the language

of economics, a change in the cost of living is

a real phenomenon. Thanks to technological

advancement even Economists are becoming

less relevant. There are several automated cost of

living index calculators on the Internet. One such

is www.numbeo.com.

Just on a personal note, I remember paying

R2,00 for a roasted cob of maize circa late 1990s.

These days I have to fork out R10,00-R12,00 for

the same delicacy. I could fill up my 45 litre tank

of the Hyundai Accent 1,5 for about R100, but

now it must be well over R500. This is a more

than 5-fold increase in prices to date between

then and now. At least according to Numbeo, the

cost of living in South Africa is nearly 33% lower

than in the USA, looking at a basket that covers

restaurants, markets, transport, utilities, sports

and leisure, childcare, and clothing and shoes,

among main ones. Rentals are a whopping

54% cheaper. Therefore, if you come to South

Africa with US dollars, you are still stretching

them much further than locals can stretch the

emaciated Rand.

Among South African cities, Pretoria has the

highest cost of living excluding rentals, with

an index reading of 52,07. In their respective

descending order are Johannesburg (49,77),

Cape town (45,67), Port Elizabeth (45, 26) and

Durban (44,71). When rentals are factored in,

Cape Town shoots up to the leader board,

followed by Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban

and Port Elizabeth. Most of our costs of living

are attributable to: market (29,7%), Rent (25,5%)

Clothing and shoes (14,7%), Transportation

(12,7%) and utilities (8%).

In the Southern African region, one can also

make a useful comparison. The cost of living

in Botswana is 12,14% lower than in South

Africa, with rental cost nearly 20% lower.

Namibia has a higher cost of living than

South Africa – 10,86% higher without rentals

and 17,98% higher rentals. Swaziland is an

interesting case where cost of living is 6,82%

higher without rentals but rentals are much

cheaper at 38,69% lower. Mozambique if

4,66% lower without rentals, and rentals are

5,69% lower than South Africa. Zimbabwe

is only 1,82% higher than South in terms

of cost of living, with rentals 35,57% lower

than South Africa. Zambia is nearly 4% less

costly than South Africa, with rentals 9,13%

cheaper. Angola is a whopping 157% higher

in terms of cost of living, and an astonishing

400% higher rentals than South Africa! No

data is yet available for Malawi and Lesotho.

Numbeo.com is a living database to which

ordinary folks can contribute during their

travels and stays in the various countries

based on experience.

Inflation has eroded the purchasing power

of ordinary South Africans, over time, as real

incomes have not kept up with price increases.

If one looks at the remuneration per worker

figures in constant figures in the South African

Reserve Bank Quarterly Bulletin, there more

figures registering either negative growth or sub

0,5% growth, than convincing positive growth.

However, in a regional and global context, South

Africa does not compare too badly on the cost of

living score.


We Can Now

Print Tools In

Specialised Printers

From Copies, Never

Mind 3d Printing On

Paper.

THE FUTURE OF

TECHNOLOGY IN

CONSTRUCTION IS HERE


Many people have typically viewed construction

as being somewhat behind in terms of

technological advancement. Civil and structural

engineering has often been summarised as the

bricks and mortar sector, at least compared to

sectors such as medical, ICT and energy.

But the reality is that there has been a quiet

revolution going on in the technology in design,

materials and methods of construction. Those

who religiously watch the Natgeo channel

might be much better informed than those

with fleeting or casual interest. But in a world

of customisation where many want their living

space to reflect their wants, needs and whims, it

is worth keeping an eye on such developments.

This quarter we focus on area of technological

development in construction that may soon be

the mainstream way to do things – the use of

3D printing in construction.

3D PRINTING IS FAIRLY WELL KNOWN

ALREADY AND IS GARNERING MORE AND

MORE ADMIRERS DUE TO ITS CAPABILITIES.

WE CAN NOW PRINT TOOLS IN SPECIALISED

PRINTERS FROM COPIES, NEVER MIND 3D

PRINTING ON PAPER. THERE IS EVEN TALK

OF ASTRONAUTS IN SPACE IN FUTURE

BEING ABLE TO USE ON BOARD PRINTERS TO

REPRINT WORN OUT TOOLS ON THEIR WAY TO

MARS AND BEYOND. BUT HOW ABOUT THE

USAGE OF 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION?

This is especially true as building a home is

perhaps the biggest financial project any family

ever undertakes in a lifetime. In the modern

world, the consumer wants more for less cost

even for such a significant project.

Some have already started exploring the

application of 3D printing in construction

despite size being potentially a daunting

constraint.


Here are some examples of what is being done:

The US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National

The AMIE uses advanced power management

and controls optimised for the efficiency of the

energy flows between the two. The electrical

load and usage are perfectly modulated between

the house’s 3.2-kilowatt solar source and the

power generated from the hybrid vehicle by

AMIE’s energy control nerve centre. This unique

marriage enables AMIE to supplement any

energy shortages on its side from the vehicle.

But here is the crux of this effort: in addition to

this one of a kind power-share system, the AMIE

also illustrates the for potential construction

and vehicle fabrication applications for

modular manufacturing technology.

AI

Lab (ORNL) have christened their impressive

creation - Additive Manufacturing Integrated

Energy project prototype (AMIE). The AMIE

project connects a natural gas-powered hybrid

electric vehicle to a solar-powered structure and

creates a fully integrated energy system shared

between both. Power freely flows between the

vehicle and the building using new and exciting

lab-developed wireless technology.

The AMIE marries a natural gas-powered hybrid

electric vehicle to a solar-powered construction

to forge a fully integrated shared energy system.

Power liberally moves between the vehicle and

the construction using new wireless technology

through a dock.

In essence, during days when the solar cells

on the house are insufficient to run household

operations, it borrows power from the natural

gas engine in the hybrid vehicle to continue

operating. Similarly, the hybrid vehicle’s batteries

can be charged with the house’s solar cells.

3D printing was employed in the development

of the 210-square-foot house and the connected

utility vehicle using ORNL’s BAAM large-scale 3D

printers. Architecture firm Skidmore, Owings, and

Merrill (SOM) collaborated with the University

of Tennessee-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Energy

and Urbanism to design the energy and space

efficient 38 x12x13 foot long building.

Clayton Homes, one of the largest manufactured

homes companies actually assembled and

fabricated the combined prototype.

This is proof of concept for inexpensive, quick to

assemble urban housing.

ORNL’s Laboratory Directed Research and

Development program worked closely with the

Department of Energy’s Building Technologies

Office, Advanced Manufacturing Office and

their Vehicle Technologies Office to support the

project.

TECHNOLOGY

ORNL collaborated with a good number of private sector

companies, organizations and educational facilities to

bring AMIE to prototype functional fruition in under

a year. Such is the speed of technology advancement

these days.

Some of the national partners included Clayton Homes,

General Electric Appliances, the Institute for Advanced

Composite Manufacturing Innovation, Skidmore, Owings

& Merrill LLP and University of Tennessee’s College of

Architecture and Design.

With a growing global population, it may not be long before

people start driving fancier, cost effective, mobile homes with

no need to be married to the electricity grid. This will give

the population greater geographic mobility to chase after

new economic opportunities or simply to find more suitable

settlement locations based on changing personal circumstances

such as health or age. Now that is a great example

of how multi-faceted technology can be used to

solve global problems or exploit opportunities!

3D


84 AFRICA IN SPORTS CORNER

THE RISE OF

PATRICE MOTSEPE

IN AFRICAN FOOTBALL

By Moses Mudzwiti | Photo Sourced from: CAF Media

Billionaire Businessman Patrice

Motsepe - the new president of the

Confederation of African Football

(CAF), is no novice to football. On 12

March this year, CAF elected Motsepe in Rabat,

Morocco, as the first English-speaking CAF

president. This is more than 17 years after he

bought Mamelodi Sundowns FC club from the

Tsichlas family.

A year after Motsepe bought a controlling share

in Sundowns, he took full control of the club. He

paid an estimated R65m for the remaining shares.

He allowed Nastasia Tsichlas and her husband

Angelo to remain at the club as non-executive

directors. At the time, Motsepe had successfully

built his gold mining empire from the ground up.

Clearly a man of many talents and a lawyer by

profession, Motsepe made his money in the

mining industry. He is the founder and Chairman

of Ubuntu-Botho Investments, African Rainbow

Capital, African Rainbow Energy and Power, as

well as UBI General Partner (Pty) Ltd. He founded

ARM Gold in 1997, which went on to list on the

Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in 2002. A

year later ARM Gold merged with Harmony Gold

Mining to form the world’s fifth largest gold

producer.

ARM Gold went on to merge with Anglovaal Mining

as well as Harmony Gold in 2003, and became the

largest group controlled by black entrepreneurs

in South Africa. Already a billionaire from his

mining ventures, Motsepe sought the advice of

established South African football club owners

before he decided to buy Sundowns. Even as he

poured in his hard-earned money into Sundowns,

he remained humble.

He maintained his respect for the previous owners.

“By gaining 100% control of Sundowns, I am

putting my money where my mouth is,” Motsepe

said at the time.

“No amount of words can express the role Abe

Krok and the Tsichlas family played in building

the club. They will continue with me in building

the future of the team. They will play a big role in

planning how to improve the club on and off the

field,” he intimated.

Since then Sundowns have won everything

available in African club football. Sundowns

defeated Egypt’s Zamalek 3–1 on aggregate to

win the 2016 CAF Champions League Final for

the first time in its history.

This year Sundowns won South Africa’s Football

League Championship for a record four times in a

row. When Motsepe’s name came up as a possible

candidate for CAF presidency, he confounded

doubts. Observers asked Africa’s ninth-richest

man with an estimated wealth of $3 billion, would

decide to enter the murky world of politics at CAF.

However, with a coherent manifesto that

emphasised the need to get football legends

involved in the running of the game, CAF

elected Motsepe CAF president. Commenting

on Motsepe’s rise, former Bafana Bafana skipper

Lucas Radebe said, “I found him to be a man of

his word.”

The former Leeds Captain added, “Like he has done

with Sundowns, getting the ex-players involved,

that has improved the game.” Accepting his

election meant Motsepe had to step down as the

Sundowns’ boss. Motsepe’s capable son Thlopie

now runs the club. There is every reason to look

forward to improvements in the professionalism

of African football with Motsepe at the helm.



86 GO-TO-GUIDE

1

1. Located at the Union

Buildings in Pretoria, this

statue captures something

of his radiant energy and

enthusiasm. This is the spot

where Nelson Mandela was

inaugurated as the first

black president and where

he held office. South African

sculptors André Prinsloo

and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren

were responsible for creating

the statue and completed

the project within just

4 months. It is 9-metres

high, bronze and the

wingspan of his arms

measure 8-metres wide.

9 PLACES TO “MEET”

NELSON MANDELA

2. On Tuesday, September 25, 2012 a statue of

Nelson Mandela was unveiled in The Hague

by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mandela’s

colleague and friend, Ahmed Kathrada.

The statue was made by Dutch sculptor

Arie Schippers. Originally scheduled to be

unveiled by the great man himself on Nelson

Mandela Day July 18th, the unveiling had to

be postponed due to Mandela’s frail health.

2

3

3. This statue of Nelson Mandela was created

by local artists Jacob Maponyane and Kobus

Hattingh and stands six metres tall, 2.3m wide

and has a shoulder width of 1.7m. The statue

was commissioned in July 2002 and completed

in 2004. At the time of its unveiling, the statue

received mixed reactions from all quarters, but

it’s a firm favourite for visitors to

Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton

to have their photo taken with.

4. The Voting Line

statue, by Anthony

Harris and Konrad Geel,

can be found on the

Donkin Reserve in Port

Elizabeth with a view

over the gorgeous

Algoa Bay. One of the

more modern statues. A

beautifully made sculpture

that is 38-metres

long and depicts South

Africans of all shapes

and sizes, connected

together, the Rainbow

Nation, who voted

peacefully on

27 April 1994.

5. The statue of

Nelson Mandela in

Parliament Square,

London, is a bronze

sculpture and 2.7 m

high. It was created

by English sculptor

Ian Walters. The

statue was unveiled

by British Prime

Minister Gordon

Brown on 29 August

2007, in a ceremony

held in Parliament

Square.

6. This 8-metre

tall bronze figure

was unveiled in

the central city of

Bloemfontein on

7 December 2012.

Created by the

sculptor, Kobus

Hattingh, this

R3 million statue was

donated by a private

individual, Mr Freddy

Kenny. Located atop

Naval Hill, it faces the

Methodist Church in

Waaihoek.

GO-TO-GUIDE

7. Nobel Square,

located in South

Africa’s premier

tourist attraction,

The V&A Waterfront,

is another spot

where you can take

your selfie with

Madiba. With Table

Mountain in the

background, this

bronze sculpture is

slightly larger than

life.

5 6

4

7

9

8

8. Another lesser known public art tribute to

Madiba is found in front of the Stellenbosch Town

Hall where land artist Strijdom van der Merwe completed

the town’s own Nelson Mandela Square. The

design consists of iron silhouettes of Mandela’s face

applied to two sides of a wall. The eastern side also

comprises a map of the eastern part of South Africa

showing the places of importance in Mandela‘s life.

9. Created by sculptor Jean Doyle, the

3.2m bronze statue stands at the entrance

to Groot Drakenstein Prison situated

between Paarl and Franschoek. The statue

depicts Mr Mandela in a suit, with his

clenched fist raised, as he was on Sunday

11 February 1990 when he walked out of

the then Victor Verster Prison.


88 DIPLOMATIC HUMOUR & WISDOM CORNER

DIPLOMATIC

HUMOUR

&WISDOM CORNER


George Bernard Shaw was

born 26th July, 1856 in Dublin,

Republic of Ireland. At his

insistence he wanted to be

known simply as Bernard Shaw.

He was a Playwright, Polemist,

Critic and Political Activist. He

influenced Western Theatre,

Culture and Politics from the

1880s to his death on 2nd

November and beyond. He was

as wily and as witty as the best

of them.


He was as wily and as witty

as the best of them. Below

1. Beware of false knowledge; it is

more dangerous than ignorance

2. A government that robs Peter to pay Paul

can always rely on Paul’s support

3. A gentleman is one who puts more into

the world than he takes out

4. The single biggest problem about

communication is the illusion that it has

taken place

5. You cannot be a hero without being a

coward

6. Science never solves a problem without

creating 10 more

7. We don’t stop playing because we grow

old; we grow old because we stop playing

8. We are wise not by the recollections of

our past, but by the responsibility for

our future

9. If you cannot get rid of a family

skeleton, you may as well dance with it

10. Alcohol is the anaesthesia we use to

endure the operation of life.


90 FOREIGN REPRESENTATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Foreign

Algeria (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 5074 / 012 342 5075

Tel: 012 342 5077 Fax: 012 342 6479

Pretoria

950 Arcadia Street

Arcadia

0083

E-mail: algemb.pretoria@gmail.com

National Day: 1 November

Angola (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 0049 / 012 342 0050

Pretoria

1030 Francis Baard Street

Hatfield

0083


Argentine Republic (Embassy)

Tel: 012 430 3524 / 012 430 3527

Pretoria

200 Standard Plaza

440 Hilda Street

Hatfield

0083

E-mail: argembas@global.co.za

National Day: 25 May

Australia (High Commission)

Tel: 012 423 6000

Fax: 012 342 8442 (General)

Fax: 012 342 4202 (Policy)

Fax: 012 342 4201 (AusAID)

Fax: 012 342 4222 (Immigration)

Fax: 012 342 1597 (Australian Federal Police)

Pretoria

292 Orient Street

Cnr Schoeman Street

Arcadia

0083

National Day: 26 January

Austria (Embassy)

Tel : 012 452 9155 Fax : 012 460 1151

454 A Fehrsen Street

Brooklyn 0181

E-mail: pretoria-ob@bmeia.gv.at

National Day: 26 October

Azerbaijan (Embassy)

Tel: 012 346 1018 / 012 346 0829

Fax: 012 346 1864

Pretoria

302 Albert Street

Waterkloof


Bangladesh (High Commission)

Tel: 012 343 2105

Fax: 012 343 5222 (Diplomatic)

Fax: 012 343 5224 (Commercial)

E-mail: bangladeshpta@iburst.co.za

National Day: 26 March

Belarus (Embassy)

Tel: 012 430 7709

Fax: 012 342 6280

E-mail: rsa@mfa.gov.by

National Day: 3 July

Belgium (Embassy)

Tel: 012 440 3201 Fax: 012 440 3216


REPRESENTATION

In the Republic of South Africa

Benin (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 6978 Fax: 012 342 1823

Pretoria

900 Park Street

Cnr Park & Orient Street

Arcadia

0083

National Day: 1 August

Bolivia (Honorary Consulate)

Tel: 011 646 1408 Cell: 083 3779081

Fax: 011 646 1408

Johannesburg

(Honorary Consulate)

No. 1 Erlswold Way Saxonwold

2129


Botswana (High Commission)

Tel: 012 430 9640

Fax: 012 342 1845 Fax: 012 342 4783

Pretoria

24 Amos Street

Colbyn

0083

National Day: 30 September

Brazil (Embassy)

Tel: 012 366 5200 Fax: 012 366 5299

Pretoria

152 Dallas Avenue

Waterkloof Glen

Corobay Corner

4th Floor

0181


Bulgaria (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 3720

Fax: 012 342 3721

Pretoria

1071 Stanza Bopape Street

Hatfield

0083


Burkina Faso (Embassy)

Tel: 012 346 2704 Fax: 012 346 6003

Pretoria

767 Justice Mohamed Street

Hatfield

National Day: 11 December

Burundi (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 4881 / 012 342 4883

Fax: 012 342 4885

Pretoria

20 Glyn Street

Colbyn

0083


Cameroon (High Commission)

Tel : 012 460 0341 Fax : 012 460 7942

Pretoria

80 Marais Street

Brooklyn

0181


Canada (High Commission)

Tel: 012 422 3000

Fax: 012 422 3052 (Admin)

Fax: 012 422 3053 (Immigration)

Fax: 012 422 3071 (Political)

Pretoria

1103 Arcadia Street

Cnr Hilda Street

Hatfield

0083


Central African Republic (Embassy)

Tel: 078 033 6843

Pretoria

209 Eastwood

Opp. Eastwood Village

Stanza Bopape Street

Arcadia

0083


Chad

Tel: 012 346 6054 Fax: 012 460 1596

Pretoria

157 Banket Street

Cnr Dely Road and Club Avenue

Waterkloof


Chile (Embassy)

Tel: 012 460 8090

Tel: 012 460 4482 (Consular Office)

Tel: 012 460 1650 (Defence)

Fax: 012 460 8093

Pretoria

333 Main Street

Waterkloof

0181


China (Embassy)

Tel: 012 431 6500 Fax: 012 342 4244

Pretoria

965 Church Street

Arcadia

0083


Colombia (Embassy)

Tel: 012 362 3106 / 012 362 3107

Tel: 012 362 3116 / 012 362 3117

Fax: 012 362 3118

Pretoria

177 Dyer Road

Hillcrest Office Park

Woodpecker Place

2nd Floor

Hillcrest

Pretoria

0083


Comoros (Embassy)

Tel : 012 343 8594 Fax: 012 343 0384

Pretoria

200 Beckett Street

Arcadia, Pretoria

0083


Congo (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 5508 Fax: 012 342 5510

Pretoria

960 Arcadia Street

Arcadia

0083


Congo (Embassy of the Democratic Republic)

Tel: 012 344 6475/6 Fax: 012 344 4054

Pretoria

791 Schoeman Street

Arcadia, 0083

National Day: 30 June

Costa Rica (Honorary Consulate)

Tel: 011 486 4716 Fax: 011 646 7514

Johannesburg

14 Talton Road

Forest Town


Côte d’Ivoire (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 6913 / 012 342 6914

Fax: 012 342 6713

Pretoria

795 Government Avenue

Arcadia

0083


Croatia (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 1206 / 012 342 1598

Fax: 012 342 1819 / 086 688 8580

Pretoria

167 Lynwood Road

Brooklyn

0181


Cuba (Embassy)

Tel: 012 346 2215 Fax: 012 346 2216

Pretoria

45 Mackenzie Street

Brooklyn

0181


Cyprus (High Commission)

Tel: 012 346 3298 (Chancery)

Tel: 012 346 3329 (Consulate)

Fax: 012 346 3298

Pretoria

375 Marais Street

Brooklyn

0181


Czech Republic (Embassy)

Tel: 012 431 2380 / 012 430 2328

Fax: 012 430 2033

Pretoria

936 Pretorius Street

Arcadia

0083


Denmark (Embassy)

Tel: 012 430 9340 Fax: 012 342 7620

Pretoria

(Royal Danish Embassy)

Iparioli Office Park

Block, B2

Ground Floor

1166 Park Street

Hatfield


Dominican Republic (Embassy)

Tel : 012 341 0177 Fax : 086 567 9613

Pretoria

(Embassy)

252 Berea Street

Muckleneuk

0002

National Day: 27 February

Ecuador (Embassy)

Tel: 012 346 1662 / 012 346 4342

Fax: 012 346 7082

Pretoria

Brookfield Court Building

First Floor

Bronkhorst Street

Brooklyn

National Day:10 August

Egypt (Embassy)

Tel: 012 343 1590 / 012 343 1591

Tel: 012 344 6042 Fax: 012 343 1082

Pretoria

270 Bourke Street

Muckleneuk

0002


Equatorial Guinea (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 9945 Fax: 012 342 6469

Pretoria

48 Florence Street

Colbyn

0083


Eritrea (Embassy)

Tel: 012 333 1302 Fax: 012 333 2330

Pretoria

1281 Cobham Road

Queenswood

0186


Estonia (Honorary Consulate)

Tel: 021 913 3850 Fax: 021 913 2579

Alberton

56 Toon van der Heever Street

Randhart

Alberton

1457

National Day 24 February

eSwatini (High Commission)

Tel: 012 344 1910 / 1917 / 1924

Pretoria


Cnr Blackwood & Government Streets

Arcadia

0083


Ethiopia (Embassy)

Tel: 012 346 4067 Fax: 012 346 3867

Pretoria

47 Charles Street

Bailey’s Muckleneuk

Brooklyn

0181


European Union (EU)

Tel: 012 452 5200 Fax: 012 460 9923

Pretoria

2 Green Park Estates

27 George Storrar Drive

Groenkloof

0181

National Day: 9 May

Gabon (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 4376 / 012 342 4377

Fax: 012 342 4375

Pretoria

921 Schoeman Street

Arcadia

0083


The Gambia (High Commission)

Tel : 011 884 3710 Fax: 011 883 5925

Cell: 083 222 6747

Pretoria

Bookfield Office Park

1st Floor

North Block

Nieuw Muckleneuk

Brooklyn

0181


Georgia (Embassy)

Tel : 012 346 1831 Fax : 012 346 1833


Germany (Embassy)

Tel: 012 427 8900 Fax: 012 343 9401

Pretoria

201 Florence Ribeiro Avenue

Groenkloof Ext 3

0181


Ghana (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 5847 Fax: 012 342 5863

Pretoria

1038 Arcadia Street

Hatfield

0083


Greece (Embassy)

Tel: 012 348 2427 \ 012 348 2352

Fax: 012 348 2448

Pretoria

323 North Village Lane

Hillside

Lynwood

0081

Independence Day: 25 March

Grenada (High Comission)

Tel: 083 461 6559 Fax: 011 787 6407

Johannesburg

Third Floor Digital House

Park Lane

Sandton

2196


Guatemala (Embassy)

Tel: 021 418 2020 Fax: 021 418 1280

Pretoria

149 Gemini Street

Waterkloof Ridge

0181


Guinea (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 7348 / 012 342 4906

Fax: 012 342 7348

Pretoria

336 Orient Street

Arcadia

0083


Guinea-Bissau (Honorary Consulate)

Tel: 011 622 3688 Fax: 011 622 5351

Johannesburg

I/F Lakeside Two

Bruma Lake

Ernest Oppenheimer Drive

Bruma

2198


Guyana (High Commission)

Tel: 012 941 1694 Fax: 012 342 2736

Pretoria

Suite H

3rd Floor

Grosvenor Place

235 Grosvenor Street


Haiti (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 0192 / 087 700 3076

Fax: 012 342 0194

Pretoria

No 826 – 830

Government Avenue

Eastwood




Holy See (The Vatican)

Tel: 012 346 4235 Fax: 012 346 1494

Pretoria

(Apostolic Nunciature)

4 Argo Street

Waterkloof Ridge

0181

National Day: 19 April

Hungary (Embassy)

Tel: 012 430 3030 / 012 430 5614 (Not for Visas)

Fax: 012 430 3029

Pretoria

959 Arcadia Street

Hatfield

0083


Iceland (Embassy)

Tel: 011 305 8954 Fax: 011 305 8999

Honorary Consulate-General

Johannesburg

Suite 167

Private Bag X 9924

Sandton

2146


India (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 5392 Fax: 012 430 3326

Fax: 012 342 5310 Telex: 320045-SA

Pretoria

852 Schoeman Street

Arcadia

0083


Indonesia (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 3350 / 3351 / 3352

Pretoria


Arcadia

0083


Iran (Embassy)

Tel: 012 001 0555 (Consular & Reception)

Tel: 012 001 0545 (Ambassador’s office)

Tel: 078 332 1039 (Ambassador’s office)

Pretoria

245 Melk Street

Nieuw Mucklenuek

Brooklyn


Iraq (Embassy)

Tel: 012 362 2048 / 012 362 2049

Fax: 012 362 2027

Pretoria

803 Jan Shoba Street

Brooklyn

0181


Ireland (Embassy)

Tel: 012 452 1000 Fax: 012 346 5031

Pretoria

2nd Floor

Parkdev Building

Brooklyn Bridge Office

570 Fehrsen Streets

Brooklyn

0181


Israel (Embassy)

Tel: 012 470 3500 Fax: 012 348 5518

Pretoria

428 King’s Highway cor.

Elizabeth Grove Street

Lynwood

National Day varies annually

Italy (Embassy)

Tel: 012 423 0000 Fax: 012 430 5547

Pretoria

796 George Avenue

Arcadia

0083


Jamaica (High Commission)

Tel: 012 362 6667 / 012 366 8500

Fax: 012 366 8510

Pretoria

W2

2nd Floor

Brooklyn Court

361 Veale Street

Brooklyn

0181


Japan (Embassy)

Tel: 012 452 1500

Fax: 012 460 3800 / 3801

Pretoria

259 Baines Street

Groenkloof

0181


Jordan (Embassy)

Tel: 012 346 8615/7 Fax: 012 346 8611

Pretoria

254 Crown Avenue

Waterkloof

0181


Kazakhstan (Embassy)

Tel: 012 460 0162

Pretoria

226 Aries Street

Waterkloof Ridge

0181


Kenya (High Commission)

Tel: 012 362 2249 / 2250 / 2251

Fax: 012 362 2252

Pretoria

302 Brooks Street

Menlo Park

0081


Korea

(Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic)

Tel: 012 991 8661 Fax: 012 991 8662

Pretoria

958 Waterpoort Street

Faerie Glen


Korea (Embassy of the Republic)

Tel: 012 460 2508 Fax: 012 460 1158

Pretoria

265 Melk Street

New Muckleneuk


Kuwait (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 0877 Fax: 012 342 0876

Pretoria

890 Arcadia Street

Arcadia

0083


Lebanon (Embassy)

Tel: 012 430 2130 / 2131

Fax: 012 430 2238

Pretoria

238 Florence Ribeiro Avenue

Cnr Muckleneuk and Florence Ribeiro Street

Nieuw Muckleneuk


Lesotho (High Commission)

Tel: 012 460 7648 Fax: 012 460 7649

Pretoria

391 Anderson Street

Menlo Park

0081


Liberia (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 2734/35

Fax: 012 342 2737

Cell: 072 928 0841

Pretoria

Suite 9 Section 7

Schoeman Street Forum

1157 Schoeman Street

Hatfield

Independence Day: 26 July

Libya (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 3902 Fax: 012 342 3904

Pretoria

(Libyan Embassy)

900 Church Street and

Balmoral Street

Arcadia

0083


Lithuania (Embassy)

Tel : 021 439 9030 Fax : 021 434 0473

Pretoria

235 Grosvenor Street

Hatfield

0028


Luxembourg (Honorary Consulate)

Tel: 011 463 1744 / 011 659 0961

Fax: 011 463 3269

Johannesburg

1st Floor, Fulnam House

Hampton Park

20 Georgian Crescent

Bryanston, Ext 5


Madagascar (Embassy)

Tel: 064 799 3619 Fax: 086 535 5173

Pretoria

90 B Tait Street

Colbyn


Malawi (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 0146 / 1759

Fax: 012 342 0147 Telex: 3 - 22017 SA

Pretoria


Arcadia

0083


Malaysia (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 5990 / 5991

Tel: 012 342 5992 / 5993

Fax: 012 430 7773

Pretoria


Block B

Arcadia

0083


Maldives (Honorary Consulate)

Tel: 021 650 2076

Cape Town

507 Intaba

25 Protea Road

Claremont

7708


Mali (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 7464 / 0676

Fax: 012 342 0670

Pretoria


Block B

Arcadia

0083


Mauritania (Embassy)

Tel: 012 362 3578 / 2573

Fax: 012 362 3304

Cell: 073 925 1828 (After-hours)


Mauritius (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 12831284

Fax: 012 342 1286

Pretoria


Hatfield

0083


Mexico (Embassy)

Tel: 012 460 1004

Tel: 012 460 1004 X 110 (Consular)

Fax: 012 460 0973

Fax: 086 640 8731 (Alternative)

Pretoria

Ground Floor

Parkdev Building

Brooklyn Bridge

570 Fehrsen Street

Brooklyn

0181


Morocco (Embassy)

Tel: 012 343 0230 Fax: 012 343 0613

Pretoria


Arcadia

0083


Mozambique (High Commission)

Tel: 012 401 0300 / 0306

Fax: 012 326 6388

Pretoria

529 Edmund Street

Arcadia

0083


Myanmar (Embassy)

Tel: 012 341 2556 / 2557

Fax: 012 341 2553

Pretoria

329 Julius Jeppe Street

Waterkloof


Namibia (High Commission)

Tel: 012 481 9100

Fax: 012 343 7294 / 012 344 5998

Pretoria

197 Blackwood Street

Arcadia, 0083


Nepal (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 7546 Fax: 012 342 3619

Pretoria

(Embassy)


Arcadia

0083


Netherlands (Embassy)

Tel: 012 425 4500 Fax: 012 425 4511

Pretoria

210 Queen Wilhelmina Avenue

Nieuw Muckleneuk


New Zealand (High Commission)

Tel: 012 435 9000 Fax: 012 435 9002

Pretoria

(High Commission)

125 Middel Street

Nieuw Muckleneuk

0181


Niger (Embassy)

Tel: 012 430 2402 / 2337

Fax: 012 430 2280

Pretoria

No. 821 Thomas Avenue

Eastwood

Arcadia


Nigeria (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 0905 / 0808 / 0805 / 0688

Fax: 012 342 0718

Pretoria


Arcadia

0083


Norway (Embassy)

Tel: 012 364 3700 Fax: 012 364 3799

Pretoria

Ozmik House

165 Lynnwood Road

0181

Brooklyn

Constitution Day: 17 May

Oman (Embassy)

Tel: 012 362 8301 / 2766 / 3114

Fax: 012 362 6258

Pretoria

11 Anderson Street

Brooklyn


Pakistan (High Commission)

Tel: 012 362 4072 / 4073

Fax: 012 362 3967

Pretoria

312 Brooks Street

Menlopark

0081


Palestine (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 6411 Fax: 012 342 6412

Pretoria

493 Cameron Street



Panama (Embassy)

Tel : 012 346 0703 Fax: 012 346 7034 (General)

Pretoria

141 Boshoff Street

Niew Muckleneuk


Paraguay (Embassy)

Tel: 012 347 1047 / 3142

Pretoria

189 Strelitzia Road

Waterkloof Heights

0181


Peru (Embassy)

Tel : 012 440 1030 / 1031

Fax: 012 440 1054

Pretoria

200 Saint Patricks Road

Muckleneuk Hill

0083


Philippines (Embassy)

Tel: 012 346 0451 / 0452

Fax: 012 346 0454

Pretoria

54 Nicholson Street

Muckleneuk

0181


Poland (Embassy)

Tel: 012 430 2621

Tel: 012 430 2631 / 2632 (Consular)

Fax: 086 76 50 421

Pretoria

14 Amos Street

Colbyn

0083

Constitutional Day: 3 May

Independence Day: 11 November

Portugal (Embassy)

Tel: 012 341 2340 / 2341 / 2342

Fax: 012 341 3975 / 012 440 1242

Pretoria

599 Leyds Street

Muckleneuk

0042


Qatar (Embassy)

Tel: 012 452 1700 Fax: 012 346 6732

Fax: 012 452 1710 (Consular)

Pretoria

355 Justice Mohamed Street

Waterkloof

0181


Romania (Embassy)

Tel: 012 460 6941 Fax: 012 460 6947

Pretoria

877 Justice Mahomed Street

Brooklyn

0181


Russian (Embassy)

Tel: 012 362 1337 / 1338

Fax: 012 362 0116

Pretoria

316 Brooks Street

Menlo Park

0081


Rwanda (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 6536 Fax: 012 342 7106

Pretoria

983 Schoeman Street

Arcadia

0083


Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 5532 Fax: 012 430 7428

Pretoria

801 Merton Avenue

Arcadia

0083

Saudi Arabia (Embassy)

Tel: 012 362 4230 / 4240

Fax: 012 362 4239 / 4248

Fax: 012 362 4427 (Ambassador’s Office)

Pretoria

711 Jan Shoba Street

Hatfield

0028


Senegal (Embassy)

Tel: 012 460 5263 Fax: 012 346 5550

Pretoria

Charles Manor

57 Charles Street


0181


Serbia (Embassy)

Tel: 012 460 5626 / 6103

Fax: 012 460 6003

Pretoria

163 Marais Street

Brooklyn


Seychelles (High Commission)

Tel: 012 348 0270 / 0720

Fax: 012 348 0069

Pretoria

The Village, Unit D

Corner Glenwood and Oberon Street

Faerie Glen

0043




Singapore (High Commission)

Tel: 012 430 6035 Fax: 012 342 4425

Pretoria

980 - 982 Francis Baard Street

Arcadia

0083


Slovak Republic (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 2051 / 2052

Fax: 012 342 3688

Pretoria

930 Arcadia Street

Arcadia

0083


Somalia (Embassy)

Tel : 012 343 6835 / 3446

Fax: 012 343 7811 Cell: 076 972 6485

Pretoria

831 Arcadia Street

Arcadia


South Sudan (Embassy)

Tel : 012 342 9754 / 0992

Fax: 012 342 9995

Pretoria

54 Amos Street

Colbyn


Spain (Embassy)

Tel: 012 460 0123 Fax: 012 460 2290

Pretoria

Lord Charles Building

337 Brooklyn Road

Brooklyn


Sri Lanka (High Commission)

Tel: 012 460 7690 / 7679

Fax: 012 460 7702

Pretoria

410 Alexander Street

Brooklyn

0181


Sudan (Embassy)

Tel : 012 342 4538 Fax: 012 342 4539

Pretoria

1203 Pretorius street

Hatfield

Pretoria

Independence Day: 1 January

Suriname (Embassy)

Tel: 012 346 7627 / 012 460 3390

Fax: 012 346 0802

Fax: 012 346 7721 (Chancellor)

Pretoria

97, 21st Street

Menlopark

0181


Sweden (Embassy)

Tel: 012 426 6400 Fax: 012 426 6464

Pretoria

iParioli Complex

1166 Park Street

Hatfield

0083


Switzerland (Embassy)

Tel: 012 452 0660 Fax: 012 346 6605

Pretoria

225 Veale Street

Parc Nouveau

New Muckleneuk

0181


Syrian (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 4701 / 4566

Fax: 012 342 4702

Pretoria

963 Schoeman Street

Arcadia

0083


Tanzania (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 4371 / 4393

Fax: 012 430 4383

Pretoria

822 George Avenue

Arcadia

0083

Union Day: 26 April

Thailand (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 5470 / 4516 / 4506

Fax: 012 342 4805 / 3986

Pretoria

428 Hill Street

(Cnr Hill & Pretorius Street)

Hatfield

0028


Timor Leste (Embassy)

Tel : 012 460 3440 Fax : 012 460 3414

Pretoria

107 George Storrar Drive

Groenkloof

Pretoria-Gauteng

0181

South Africa

Togo (Embassy)

Tel: 012 343 5939 Fax:012 343 5946

235 John Street

Muckleneuk Hill

Pretoria


Trinidad and Tobago (High Commission)

Tel : 012 460 9688 Fax : 012 460 9688

Pretoria

258 Lawley Street

Waterkloof

Pretoria

0181


Tunisia (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 6282/83 Fax: 012 342 6284

Telex: 320053 TUEMB SA

Pretoria

850 Church Street

Arcadia

0083


Turkey (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 6055 / 6056

Tel: 012 432 0580 Fax: 012 342 6052

Pretoria

573 Fehrsen Street

Nieuw Muckleneuk


Uganda (High Commission)

Tel: 012 342 6031/3 Fax: 012 342 6206

Pretoria

882 Church Street

Arcadia

0083


Ukraine (Embassy)

Tel: 012 460 1946 Fax: 012 460 1944

Pretoria

398 Marais Street

Brooklyn

0181


United Arab Emirates (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 7736 Fax: 012 342 7738

Pretoria

992 Arcadia Street

Arcadia

0083


U K (High Commission of the United Kingdom)

Tel: 012 421 7500 Fax: 012 421 7555

Pretoria

255 Hill Street

Arcadia


United States of America (Embassy)

Tel: 012 431 4000

Cell no. 082 285 2341 After Hours

Pretoria


Arcadia

0083


Uruguay (Embassy)

Tel : 012 362 6521 / 6522

Fax : 012 362 6523

Pretoria

Office W3

Brooklyn Court

361 Veale Street

Nieuw Muckleneuk


Venezuela (Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic)

Tel: 012 346 5747 / 5718 / 5723 / 5692

Fax: 012 346 5755

Cell: 076 856 4150 Emergency

Pretoria

230 Carina Street

Waterkloof Ridge


Vietnam (Embassy)

Tel: 012 362 8119 Fax: 012 362 8115

Pretoria

87 Brook Street

Brooklyn

0181


Yemen (Embassy)

Tel: 012 425 0760 Fax: 012 425 0762

Pretoria

329 Main Street

Waterkloof

0181


Zambia (High Commission)

Tel: 012 326 1854 Fax: 012 326 2140

Pretoria

Zambia House

570 Ziervoel Avenue

Arcadia

0083


Zimbabwe (Embassy)

Tel: 012 342 5125 Fax: 012 342 5126

Telex: 320055ZIMPA SA

Pretoria

Zimbabwe House

798 Merton Street

Arcadia

0083


NATIONAL

POLICE : 10111

NETCARE 911: 082911

CRIMESTOP : 08600 10 111

CHILD HELPLINE: 0800 055 555

AMBULANCE : 10177

AMBULANCE : 082 911

ER24 : 084 124

FIRE: 10177

NETCARE 911: 082 911

FIRE BRIGADE : 998/999

LIFE LINE : 086 132 2322

MOBILE PHONE EMERGENCY NUMBER : 112

SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM HELPLINE : 083 123 6789

ARRIVE ALIVE CALL CENTRE : 0861 400 800

SOUTH AFRICA’S DIAL CODE (+27)

Bloemfontein (051)

Cape Town (021)

Durban (031)

East London (043)

Johannesburg (011)

Pretoria (012)

Polokwane (015)

Port Elizabeth (041)

LOST OR STOLEN CREDIT CARDS

American Express 0800 991 021

ABSA 0800 111 155

Diner’s Club 0860 346 377

FNB 0800 110 132

Master Card 0800 990 418

Nedbank 0800 110 929

VISA 0800 990 475

Standard Bank 0861 201 000

National Firarms Call Centre 012 353 6111

Crime Stop 08600 10111

LOST OR STOLEN IDENTITY CARDS (SAFPS)

Help-Line: 011 867 2234

E-mail:

safps@safps.org.za

SAFPS HEAD OFFICE

Tel: +27 (0)11 867 2234

Fax: +27 (0)11 867 2315

E-mail:

safps@safps.org.za


96 EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

JOHANNESBURG:

Serious And Violent Crimes 011 9869000

Ambulance 082 911

Sandton Medi-Clinic 011 709 2000

JHB General Hospital 011 488 4911

Poinson Centre 0800 111 229

24 Hour Water & Sewage 011 688 1500

Electricity 011 375 5555

Gas 011 726 3138

Gass After Hours 011 726 4702

Child Abuse Unit 011 481 5118

POWA 011 642 4345

Animal Anti Cruelty League 011 435 0672

Tourist Assistance 011 214 0700

Alcoholics Anonymous 011 436 0116

SANCA 011 781 6410

HOSPITALS

Johannesburg General Hospital 011 488 4911

Helen Joseph Hospital 011 489 1011

Southrand Hospital 011 435 0022

Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital 011 933 8000

Coronation Hospital 011 470 9000

Edenvale Hospital 011 882 2400

Sandton Hospital 011 709 2000

PRETORIA

Serious And Violent Crimes 012 358 7095

Ambulance 082 911

Medi-Clinic 012 807 0019

Fire Brigade 10177

Poison Centre 0800 333 444

24 Hour Water And Sewage 012 358 2111



POWA 012 342 2222

Gender Abuse Helpline 012 393 2363



Alcoholics Anonymous 012 322 6047

SANCA 012 542 1121

HOSPITALS

Pretoria Hospital 012 677 8000

Urolocare Hospital 012 423 400

Wilgers Hospital 012 807 8100

Life Health Care Clinic 012 334 2777

Netcare Jacaranda Hospital 012 343 4728

Kloof Medi-Clinic 012 367 4000

Pretoria-East Hospital 012 422 2300

CAPE TOWN:

Serious And Violent Crimes 0860 010 111

Ambulance 082 911


Fire Brigade 10177


24 Hour Water & Sewage 021 799 5224


POWA 021 447 9762



Alcoholic Anonymous 021 418 0020

Sea Rescue 021 449 3500

HOSPITALS

Cape Town Hospital 021 404 9111

Boooth Memorial Hospital 021 465 4846

Chris Barnard Memorial Hospital 021 480 6111

Contantiaberg Medi-Clinic 021 799 2911

Panorama Priovate Clinic 021 938 2 1 1 1

Red Cross Children;S Hospital 021 658 5 1 1 1

Tygerberg 021 938 4 9 1 1

Victoria 021 799 1 1 1 1

Wynberg Hospital 021 799 3000

DURBAN

Ambulance 082 911


Fire Brigade 10177


24 Hour Water And Sewage 0801 313 013



POWA 031 204 4111



SANCA 031 202 2241

Alcoholic Anonymous 031 301 4959

Sea Rescue 031 361 8567

Mountain Rescue 031 307 7744

HOSPITALS

General Hospital 031 332 2111

addington hospital 031 327 2000

circle health care 031 564 8834

RK Khan hospital 031 459 6000

life entabeni hospital LTD 031 204 1300

St Mry’s Hospital 031 717 1000

SHIFA Hospital 0861 208 811


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