Tell us Mr President, how do you classify race and how are you helping Apartheid victims find closure?

IOL News

27-05-2025

President Cryil Ramaphosa will respond to key questions in parliament today
Image: GCIS
What legislative laws does the South African government rely on when it classifies Coloured, Indian, whites, and the Khoi-San people as not being African?
And what has President Cyril Ramaphosa done to expedite the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations that attempts were made to prevent the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes?
These will be among the tough questions that Ramaphosa will answer when he appears before the National Assembly today.
The president is scheduled to appear at least once a quarter during Parliament's annual programme to respond in person to questions raised by members of parliament.
The question relating to racial classification was raised by Marlon Daniels, the Chief Whip of the Patriotic Alliance, while the leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party wants to know from Ramaphosa if the families of apartheid victims are being updated about his interventions to help them find closure and for him to specify what those interventions are.
Other questions to the head of state include what steps the government were taking to reform taxation related to renewable energy.
Mdumiseni Ntuli, the Chief Whip of the African National Congress will raise the question given that the global transition from green-house gas emissions to renewable energy is creating an unprecedented rising demand for metals and minerals.
Ntuli said this presents an opportunity for South Africa which is a mineral-rich country to better leverage its resources to finance development and infrastructure, diversify the economy, expand energy access and avoid instances where resource wealth fails to translate into broad development.
His question delves into whether the government will be implementing a resource rent tax to increase revenue and finance development infrastructure and economic diversification in line with the World Bank Report.
Ramaphosa will also respond to Cornelius Mulder, the Freedom Front's Chief Whip question on the new economic policies that he and his Cabinet has developed since being sworn into the Government of National Unity in July last year.
The ANC's Moleboheng Modise-Mpya will raise the issue of what engagements have been initiated with the Russian Federation with regard to ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This follows the recent official visit of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to South African, where he expressed concerns about the continuing conflict that has led to the loss of civilian lives, damage to critical infrastructure and the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
Zelenskyy had told Ramaphosa that peace can only be obtained through diplomacy, inclusive dialogue and a commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter.