We must honour those who suffered for our freedom 
 

Across the world, countries are having to grapple with their past as they confront the challenges of today. The past that countries deal with is often about atrocities that were committed against sections of their people.
 
Dealing with the memory of past atrocities is one of the most difficult and delicate tasks a nation can undertake. This can be a cathartic process but is vital if a country is committed to enhance national healing, cohesion and unity. The way a country remembers its painful past can shape the character of it democracy, the legitimacy of its institutions and the resilience of its people.
 
As a country, we have had to contend with our past in the interests of social cohesion and nation-building. We have advanced policies of restitution and redress to both acknowledge and correct the historical injustice of apartheid. 
 
We remain equally committed to restoring the dignity of apartheid’s countless victims and to bringing closure to their families. 
 
Over the past weekend we reburied the remains of Adv Duma Nokwe, a hero of the anti-apartheid struggle and former Secretary-General of the African National Congress, who died in exile in Zambia in 1978. 
 
Nokwe was the first black advocate to be admitted to the Johannesburg Bar, and both a defendant and a member of the defence team in the treason trial of 1956. In recognition of his contribution to the legal fraternity, we conferred him the status of senior counsel posthumously.
 
Duma Nokwe was one of 42 former liberation heroes and heroines who passed away in exile whose remains were repatriated from Zambia and Zimbabwe in September last year. We are grateful for the countries that gave our people shelter and support in exile and provided a resting place for those who died before they could return home.
 
Many families in this country lost their loved ones to apartheid brutality and live with these scars. The apartheid regime even pursued activists that had fled the country and their whereabouts remain unknown.  
 
In 1994 we chose a path of national reconciliation. We established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to shed a light on the atrocities committed during apartheid.  
 
Even as democratic South Africa attempted to unearth what happened and to hold those accountable to account, many apartheid-era security officials either refused to appear before the TRC or did not fully disclose their actions. Others resorted to delaying tactics and obstruction to evade trial. 
 
As we recently announced, I am in the process of establishing a judicial commission of inquiry to look into allegations of interference in the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes referred by TRC. 
 
As government we remain steadfast in our commitment to restoring the dignity of activists who died and were buried abroad, and to our country men and women who were subjected to indignities in foreign lands. 
 
This is being done within legal frameworks such as the National Heritage Resources Act. This framework facilitated the repatriation of Sara Baartman’s remains for burial in South Africa in 2002. We have also developed a draft National Policy on the Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects which will guide our efforts going forward. 
 
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and other government institutions continue to engage with several countries to facilitate the return of human remains. 
 
Even today some museums and universities in western Europe have collections that contain human remains of South Africa’s Khoi and San people. In 2012, South Africa facilitated the return of the remains of a Khoi couple dubbed Klaas and Trooi from a museum in Vienna, after they had been illegally exhumed and smuggled abroad more than 100 years earlier.  
 
The American novelist William Faulkner once wrote: “The past is never dead, it’s not even past.”  
 
For the many families and communities across this country who never got the opportunity to lay their loved ones to rest or to even know how they died, the past will continue to cast a long shadow. 
 
In the interests of national reconciliation, in the interests of moving forward, we will continue with our efforts to restore dignity to all those who were denied it in life.  
 
A heavy price was paid by many for the democracy we have today. This should continue to inspire us as we work together towards a shared future. 
 
With best regards, 
 

South Africa and the US have much to gain from working together

Dear Fellow South African,

Last week, I undertook a successful working visit to the United States at the invitation of President Donald Trump to strengthen relations between our two countries.

The delegation that accompanied me included a diverse range of South Africans, with representatives from Government, business, labour and the sporting fraternity, all united in advancing our country’s interests.

South Africa has always regarded the United States as a strong investment and trading partner. Our countries and our economies are bound together in many ways. We went to Washington to establish a basis for greater economic cooperation and to address some of the challenges that have recently arisen in relations between our two countries.

Our visit came at a time when US-SA relations have come under increasing strain, largely as a result of misinformation peddled by fringe groups in our two countries, including a false narrative about a so-called genocide and an orchestrated campaign of violence against white farmers.

In this context, it was critical for us to engage directly with the US administration to correct misinformation and provide a true account of the progress we have made as a democracy and the many and complex challenges we still face.

While this was a necessary conversation, the overarching aim of our visit was to deepen our strategic economic partnership with the US as our second-largest trading partner.

The US is a key export market for South African goods, products and services, including motor vehicles, agricultural products and, increasingly, critical minerals. At the same time we buy many goods and services from the US.

There is potential to increase and diversify trade between our two countries in areas such as gas, mining and critical minerals, agriculture and nuclear products.

The US is a major source of investment in South Africa. There are over 600 US companies, many with a long-established presence here, who continue to expand their investments.

By way of example, earlier this year tech giant Microsoft announced plans to invest an additional R5.4 billion in expanding its cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa over the next two years. Last week, there was a strong showing of US companies at an important energy conference in Cape Town.

According to data from the US Department of Commerce, these South Africa-based US companies employ around 148,000 South Africans. South Africa continues to be a tourist destination to many US citizens. Last year close to 400,000 American tourists visited South Africa.

South Africa and the US have for many years had a longstanding development partnership in critical areas such as health, education and environmental conservation and protection.

One of the key outcomes of the substantive discussions we had with President Trump was agreement on an economic cooperation channel between the US administration and South Africa to engage further on tariffs and a broad range of trade matters.

President Trump agreed that the US should continue playing a key role in the G20, including attending the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg later this year, where South Africa will hand over the presidency of the G20 to the US.

We also discussed exploring new opportunities for companies from South Africa and the US in each other’s markets. We were able to update US officials on the ongoing structural reform process underway to improve the ease of doing business and facilitate a favourable investment climate.

We are operating from a firm base. Last year’s country Investment Climate Summit published by the US State Department highlights South Africa being an attractive investment hub, citing key factors such as deep and well-regulated capital markets, strengths in manufacturing stable institutions, an independent judiciary and robust legal sector, respect for the rule of law, a mature financial and services sector, and experienced local partners.

We have extended an invitation to President Trump to send a government and business delegation to South Africa to explore opportunities for deepening investment and trade.

In 1990, soon after his release from prison, Nelson Mandela addressed the US Congress. He spoke of the envisaged economic cooperation between a democratic South Africa and the US as “not a relationship between donor and recipient, between a dependent and a benefactor”, but one of mutual benefit.

This spirit of cooperation remains firmly in place more than 30 years later. 

Our successful working visit to the US reaffirmed the importance of keeping the channels of dialogue open. The willingness of the US to engage with South Africa on resetting our relationship is testament to the strength of the bilateral relationship.

We need to work together as Government, business, labour and all of society to overcome our domestic challenges, including the high rate of crime, if we are to attract investment that advances economic growth and creates jobs.

As South Africans, as a sovereign and independent nation, we are always ready to acknowledge and address our problems, just as we are always ready to engage our critics in meaningful discussion.

We are pleased that our visit to Washington established a basis for greater engagement and cooperation. Our two countries have everything to gain from working more closely together.

With best regards,

The 2025 Child Protect Month is  taking place from the 11 May to 11 June 2025, under the theme “Working together in ending violence against children” . Child Protection Month is  part of the 365 Days Child Protection Programme of Action activities to place children’s issues on the spotlight, focussing on targeted interventions to children, parents, caregivers and communities, raising awareness on plight of children who on daily basis are confronted with violence and social ills that affect their well-being, raising awareness and education about available services as communities are often unaware where to go when experiencing challenges or are in crisis. The education and awareness enable early detection, reporting and referral of children and families in distress for early intervention services.

We are deepening our trade and investment ties across Africa 

Dear Fellow South African, 
 
This week I am attending the Africa CEO Forum in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, where we are showcasing our country’s potential as a premier investment and trade destination. We are also supporting South African firms as they seek new opportunities on the continent. 
 
This is an annual event that brings together almost 3,000 CEOs, heads of state and investors to explore potential business leads, partnerships and opportunities. 
 
South Africa’s high-level participation in this Forum underscores our commitment to play a leading role in Africa’s economic integration. 
 
The Africa CEO Forum takes place at a time of much disruption in the global economy, characterised by geopolitical tension, trade wars and conflicts that are causing instability in key shipping corridors. 
 
What this means is that South African businesses are actively exploring new market opportunities. 
 
South African investments in other African countries have a long history. These investments have grown and diversified from mining into sectors such as construction, IT and telecommunications, healthcare, financial services, retail and the green economy. 
 
Since the advent of democracy in 1994, our government has implemented several initiatives to promote trade and investment elsewhere on the continent, including partnerships and trade agreements. 
 
We are witnessing the benefits of these efforts. The latest trade statistics published by the SA Revenue Service point to increased exports to countries in the region, like Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia, as well as with the rest of Africa. 
 
We are determined to use the longstanding presence of South African companies on our continent to expand trade and investment with fellow African nations. 
 
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is creating a more predictable and conducive environment for business to thrive across borders. Our businesses must seize this opportunity even as the processes of harmonising regulations continues. 
 
The upheavals in the global economy present an opportunity for strategic, Africa-focused trade and investment policy. 
 
South African business must be at the forefront of the transformation of African industry. As government, we are committed to provide the necessary supportive policy and regulatory frameworks. 

By equal measure we will be making the case for African firms to invest in South Africa. We have a diverse economy with highly developed industrial sectors. We have established industries in mining, agriculture, manufacturing, financial and professional services, IT and others. 
 
South Africa is a leader in digital innovation on the continent and one of the leading incubators of tech start-ups. The World Intellectual Property Organisation ranks South Africa second among economies in sub-Saharan Africa in the Global Innovation Index.
 
The structural reform process began under the sixth administration and continued under the Government of National Unity aims to position South Africa as a premier trade and investment destination. 
 
We are working to make our economy more competitive by reducing the cost of doing business, improving our infrastructure and investing in skills development. We are reforming our visa regime to attract skills and promote tourism in South Africa.
 
We are using our G20 Presidency to amplify the continent’s voice and focus global attention on Africa’s economic potential. We are prioritising inclusive global cooperation, a just and equitable economic recovery and promoting long-term environmental resilience. 
 
South Africa is greatly encouraged by a new wave of continental business expansion. We are forging ahead to deepen investment and trade with the rest of the continent in a manner that contributes to shared prosperity for all Africa’s people. 
 
With best regards,