Special envoy to US Mcebisi Jonas not part of Ramaphosa delegation in the US
The Presidency said his absence bears no consequence to the president's programme.
Ramaphosa and four members of his cabinet, including Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Ronald Lamola, Parks Tau and John Steenhuisen, will be joined by businessman Johann Rupert.
Champion golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and representatives from labour and business, such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)'s Zingiswa Losi and Business Unity South Africa's Adrian Gore, will also form part of Ramaphosa's delegation.
The much-anticipated meeting is set to take place at 11:30 in the US, which is 5:30 Central African Time.
The president has maintained that the two nations are joined at the hip. This with over 600 US companies operating in South Africa.
According to reports, Trump might use Wednesday's meeting to push for US companies to be exempt from South Africa's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws.
This has also fuelled talks of the US President's key ally, Elon Musk's desire to bring his internet service Starlink to South Africa, as he failed to acquire a licence due to not meeting its BEE quotas.
ALSO READ:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
24 minutes ago
- The South African
Gayton claims he intercepted 'death threats' to Open Chats Podcast hosts
Gayton McKenzie – the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture – claims he intercepted death threats targeted at the hosts of the Open Chats Podcasts. The Patriotic Alliance leader made the shocking allegations in a recent appearance on Penuel Mlotshwa's podcast. Last week, the outspoken politician called out the presenters for their controversial comments about coloured people. The podcast has since been canned from the DStv line-up, with Gayton calling for the hosts to face the 'consequences' of their actions. Speaking to Penuel Mlotshwa on the Konvo Show, Gayton McKenzie addressed a viral clip of the Open Chats Podcast presenters perpetuating stereotypes about the coloured community. According to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture – a reformed convict and gangster – he intercepted threats against the presenters. He said: 'This is deeper than what transpired between us and them. These kids don't know that in every race, there are some people who take things into their own hands. People didnt see the call that was like 'Can someone give us the address of those kids. Where do those kids go? I was the one who called those people and said, 'Don't do that. Im handling this. But people don't see that. Those people don't know who they are messing with Gayton did not provide any evidence to back his allegations. During the podcast, Gayton McKenzie also responded to the backlash of his own racist scandal. In recent days, the minister's old tweets have resurfaced, containing various racial slurs, including the K-word. He said of one particular X post, 'The anger should be towards Gandhi, because I used his exact words and put his name there.' He added, 'Is there anybody who has come out and said I've been racist towards them? Who is the victim of the K-word you say I'm using?'. Last year, Gayton McKenzie reflected on his former life of crime and gangsterism. In an X thread, he posted: 'I joined the gangs at age 13 as an ice boy, and by age 15 I was a soldier of the gang, and at 16 I started my own gang. My life consisted of going in and out of jail. I soon became a wanted person by divisions of the police.' Gayton was finally arrested at the age of 21 and was sentenced to 17 years at the Grootvlei prison for armed robbery. He added, 'I was over the moon because I am now being certified. Going to jail or killing someone in the gang world means you have made your bones. It's like a badge of honor, going to jail was my badge of honor'. In prison, Gayton became a 'general' in the 28s, a notorious numbers gang. After his release in 2003, Gayton turned his life around and became a businessman and motivational speaker. In 2013, he founded the political party, the Patriotic Alliance. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
WATCH: Volvo SA's MD on steering through challenges to rebuild trust and drive change
Volvo's new South African managing director, Grant Locke, spoke to us at the launch of the EX 30 Cross Country. Image: Supplied Volvo's new South African managing director, Grant Locke, has just returned from Sweden after eighteen months with a clear mission: to restore customer confidence, strengthen dealer networks, and guide the brand through our country's cautious transition to electric mobility. Speaking on the sidelines at the launch of the new Volvo EX 30 Cross Country, he said: 'As a South African, I understand the unique culture and mindset here. That gives me an advantage in helping ensure trust in the Volvo brand locally. Right now, my biggest challenge is rebuilding that trust.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Dealership restructure Earlier this year, Volvo embarked on a significant dealership restructure, aimed at improving profitability and aligning the network with market realities, but the move did create uncertainty among customers. 'When a dealership closes, people worry about servicing their cars. Marketing alone can't fix that. We need to ensure approved Volvo service coverage across the country, with trusted dealers who are close enough for convenient servicing, accessory purchases and product expertise.' First steps The first steps in this plan are already underway, with a new dealership announced for Gqeberha, and a further two as a work in progress for Nelspruit and Bloemfontein. 'It's about finding the right balance, enough volume through a dealer network to keep them profitable and sustainable, while still being accessible to customers,' he explained. Locke acknowledges a 'two-speed' challenge. Closing dealers impacts sales, reinstating them doesn't instantly boost numbers, and brand consideration must be rebuilt with the right mix of good products, solid marketing and patience. Grant Locke, Volvo SA's new Managing Director. Image: Supplied SA's electrification journey On the product side, he admits South Africa's journey toward electrification is progressing cautiously. 'Plug-in hybrids are a stepping stone into EVs, and Volvo must ensure there are options for customers in that space. Although the launch of the XC70 long-range PHEV is currently only for China, I wouldn't be surprised if Volvo considers similar long-range plug-in hybrids for other model ranges. "Other manufacturers, especially Chinese brands, are already going in that direction. Long-term, though, our strategy is still focused on BEVs,' Locke said. Resale One of the concerns about Volvo products is their resale value and the perception that it drops quickly once they leave the showroom. 'Residual values are a concern for every manufacturer. We currently offer a guaranteed future value (GFV) product to help address that, but from my perspective, I'd like to explore more solutions. 'Residual value is a key part of the total cost of ownership, and if you get it wrong, it can overshadow other factors like fuel economy. The GFV helps, but there may be more we can do, and there are global initiatives worth investigating,' Locke admitted. On a personal level, Locke says that he's here for the foreseeable future to ensure that he addresses the challenges that the brand faces. 'I'm here for the long haul. My wife is starting her PhD at Stellenbosch, so that's at least three years, and my kids are enrolling in school here,' he concluded.
TimesLIVE
an hour ago
- TimesLIVE
Namibia central bank holds interest rates steady to support economy, rand peg
Namibia's central bank left its main interest rate unchanged for a third straight policy meeting on Wednesday, and said it wanted to safeguard the peg between the local currency and the South African rand while supporting the domestic economy. South Africa, whose economy is closely interlinked with Namibia's, reduced its rate by 25 basis points last month. "Maintaining the repo rate unchanged, while the anchor country's repo rate was reduced in July, was a further step towards narrowing the interest differential between Namibia and South Africa," said Bank of Namibia governor Johannes !Gawaxab. !Gawaxab said Namibia's rate, now 25 basis points lower than South Africa's, struck a balance between fostering local economic growth and sustaining stable capital flows. The bank lowered inflation forecasts for 2025 and 2026 by 0.1 percentage points on Wednesday to 3.8% and 4.2% respectively, to reflect lower crude oil price assumptions. Inflation in the southern African country stood at 3.5% in July. The central bank lowered its economic growth forecasts for this year and the next on Monday, citing a challenging environment for the agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors. It expects GDP growth of 3.5% in 2025, down from 3.8% projected in June, and 3.9% in 2026, lower than the 4.0% previously forecast
