26 November 2020

The Embassy of Cuba in South Africa held activities at Freedom Park in Pretoria to pay tribute to the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, as part of the commemorations for the fourth anniversary of his physical departure.

A solemn ceremony in front of the "Wall of Names", a historic site where the name of the Commander-in-Chief is inscribed and of 2 289 Cuban internationalist martyrs who offered their lives in the liberation struggles on the African continent, began the activities.

25 November 2020

The official handover ceremony for the donation of 17,000 testing kits and 50,000 face masks valued at 4,600,000 Rand(300,000 US dollars) by the Government of the Republic of Korea was held at the National Department of Health on Wednesday, 25 November 2020. The donation was made in assistance to the Covid-19 pandemic response in the Republic of South Africa.

Give South Africa some space says South Korea’s Ambassador

24 November 2020

“I am very sad to be leaving South Africa and the African continent," said Dr Jong-Dae Park. His posting to South Africa as Ambassador of the Republic of Korea comes to an end as he returns home to take up a professorship as he retires from an illustrious career as a diplomat in the foreign-service for his country. He shares his thoughts, experiences and highlights of his Ambassadorship with Kirtan Bhana, Founding Editor of The Diplomatic Society in this exit interview.

"South Korea will always be grateful for the role played by South Africa and Ethiopia in supporting the war that enabled our country to acquire its independence, freedom and the democracy we enjoy today.” Ambassador Park was referring to the ideological conflict between 1950 and 1953 that led to the division of the Korean peninsula into North and South at the 38th parallel. A demilitarized zone still exists today as a grim reminder of a division which tore a nation apart.

South African Royal Princesses unite against Gender Based Violence

By HRH Stella Sigcau

24 November 2020

Royal Princesses from various parts of South Africa have come together under the banner South African Princess Network (SAPN) to condemn Gender Based Violence (GBV). As part of their 16 days of activism campaign they will use their voices on various platforms to create awareness in this regard whilst also engaging in various projects to empower women.

Welcoming new Heads of Mission to South Africa in the time of Covid

19 November 2020

President Cyril Ramaphosa received Letters of Credence from Ambassadors and High Commissioners-Designate who have been nominated by their governments to serve in diplomatic missions in South Africa at a credentials ceremony held at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria on 19 November 2020.

The ceremony was divided into two sessions and all Covid-19 protocols were observed. The 17 Heads of Mission who presented their Credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook to advance their country's relations with South Africa.

Egypt's New Ambassador has a bold continental vision to bolster ties between the two countries

19 November 2020

Ambassador Ahmed El Fadly, Egypt's new Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, presented his Letter of Credence to President Cyril Ramaphosa, along with sixteen Ambassadors and High Commissioners at a ceremony organized on November 19th, at the Union Building.

A seasoned career diplomat, and an avid learner, with over two decades of professional experience under his belt, primarily in the field of regional and international security, El Fadly served in the Embassies of Egypt in Washington D.C. and Vienna, and was most recently, the Director of Disarmament Affairs and Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. El Fadly also served as the Deputy Chief of Egypt’s Mission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he prides himself on his extensive experience in dealing with African affairs, having headed the delegation of Egypt partaking in the AU Peace and Security Mission to Darfur in 2017, and his membership of Egyptian delegations to several AU Summits, Ministerial Meetings and Peace and Security Council Meetings.

Moscow Declaration of the XII BRICS Summit adopted

18 November 2020

On 17 November, Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, chaired the XII BRICS Summit under the theme “BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth” via videoconference.

The Summit saw the presence of President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa.

French Companies ready to participate in 3rd South Africa Investment Conference

17 November 2020

French companies are ready to participate in the third South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) and the country’s economic recovery plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will host the third SAIC on Tuesday, 17 and Wednesday, 18 November 2020. Due to the global impact of COVID-19, this year’s conference takes place in a completely different and even more challenging environment than last year.

Happy 245^th Birthday US Marines

16 November 2020

A formal ball has been a tradition in celebrating the birthday of the United States Marine Corps since 1925. This year in Pretoria, due to restrictions imposed to curb the Covid-19 pandemic, the ball could not take place. However the pomp and pageantry was still present at the 245th birthday event hosted by Lana Marks, Ambassador of the United States to South Africa.

The US Marine Corps was established on 10 November 1775 and in 1952 celebrations were standardised and formalised. In Pretoria the cake was deftly cut with a sword by Lieutenant-General Cox and after offering a piece to the host, Ambassador Marks, the oldest Marine passed the slice on to the youngest Marine as per tradition.

Bizana Pondo Chiefs FC crowned the champs of the ABC Motsepe League National playoffs

By Stella Sigcau

16 November 2020

Bizana Pondo Chiefs FC beat Pretoria Callies during the finals of the ABC Motsepe League National playoffs held on the 14 November 2020 at the Vaal University of Technology in Gauteng. They were crowned the champions of the tournament and the Mayor of Mbizana Cllr TD Mafumbatha was present to witness this historic moment. Present were also the founder and Chairman of the club Nathi Mqokiyana, George Gusha and Clive Noconjo from Mbizana Municipality and Sikelela Mtangayi from SAFA Alfred Nzo region who is also the organiser of the Nkosi Ntsikayezwe Sigcau Soccer Tournament.

17th ASEAN-India Summit: Reorientation of Strategic Diplomacy

By Dr Srimal Fernando

13 November 2020

The 17th ASEAN-India summit has taken India’s relations with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to a whole new level, reinforcing cooperation across multiple sectors. On Thursday, 12 November 2020, the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had the honor of co-chairing, the historic 17th ASEAN-India virtual summit along with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Speaking at the virtual Summit Modi emphasized that there are many similarities between India's 'Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative' and ASEAN's 'Outlook on Indo Pacific'.