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Eyewitness News
7 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
SA's transformation laws can't be changed because other parties disagree
Babalo Ndenze 29 May 2025 | 13:36 FILE: Deputy President Paul Mashatile addressed the National Council of Provinces in Parliament, Cape Town. Picture: @PresidencyZA/X CAPE TOWN - Deputy President Paul Mashatile said that the country's transformation laws must be implemented and can't be changed because some parties said that changes to the laws that were passed by both houses of Parliament had to go through the same process. On Thursday afternoon, Mashatile responded to questions in the National Council of Provinces on a range of issues, including transformation and threats to social cohesion. Mashatile was asked whether he had considered implementing measures to ensure that the emerging attacks on the country's transformation agenda would not lead to further regression of social cohesion. Some of the transformation laws in question include Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and other redress policies like the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which are being opposed by the Democratic Alliance (DA). But Mashatile said that the laws weren't about to change. "There are those who seek to undermine transformative pieces of legislation that have been passed, particularly by the previous administration. But the government is quite resolute that those laws that were passed by the previous administration must be implemented." He said that if any party wanted to make changes to the existing laws, they must go to the Cabinet before going back to Parliament.
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"We condemn use of terror", says South Africa Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen
Cape Town [South Africa], May 29 (ANI): John Steenhuisen, Federal Leader and Minister of Agriculture of South Africa, on Wednesday (local time) extended support to India in its fight against terrorism and said that it is important for democracies to stand together, united against terror. 'India bought a very important message to South Africa today. We condemn the use of terror anywhere in the world, and it is important for democracies to stand together, united against terror... Any measures to counter terrorism need to be welcomed. As democracies, we need to find ways to combat terror globally... India is a very important strategic partner for South Africa as both are members of the BRICS,' John Steenhuisen told reporters. Steenhuisen's comment came after a meeting with the NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule-led delegation in Cape Town. Speaking to ANI after the meeting, Supriya Sule said, 'We held detailed discussions. They promised to stand with India. The G-20 Summit is going to be held here. India has deep bilateral relations with South Africa.' Earlier in the day, Sule-led delegation held talks with Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) of South Africa along with Members of the Parliament of South Africa and conveyed India's stance on combating terrorism. The delegation members explained the background of terrorist attacks in India, including the April 22 Phalgam terror attack. In a post on X, India's High Commission in Pretoria stated, 'Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Province (NCOP) of South Africa, P (Les) Govender, along with other Members of the Parliament of South Africa, met All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, MPs from India at the National Council of Provinces of South Africa. Delegation members explained the background of terrorist incidents in India, including the Pahalgam Attack, and conveyed India's united message of Zero tolerance for terrorism.' The members of the delegation are Members of Parliament Supriya Sule, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, Manish Tewari, Anurag Singh Thakur, Lavu Sri Krishna devarayalu, Anand Sharma, former Minister of Commerce & Industry, V Muraleedharan, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, and Syed Akbaruddin, Former Permanent. Representative of India to the UN. (ANI)
India Gazette
28-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
All-party delegation led by Supriya Sule meets South Africa's Agriculture Minister
Cape Town [South Africa], May 28 (ANI): The All-Party parliamentary delegation led by NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule, met John Steenhuisen, Federal Leader and Minister of Agriculture of South Africa, on Wednesday. Speaking to ANI after the meeting, Supriya Sule said, 'We held detailed discussions. They promised to stand with India. The G-20 Summit is going to be held here. India has deep bilateral relations with South Africa.' Earlier in the day, Sule-led delegation held talks with Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) of South Africa along with Members of the Parliament of South Africa and conveyed India's stance on combating terrorism. The delegation members explained the background of terrorist attacks in India, including the April 22 Phalgam terror attack. In a post on X, India's High Commission in Pretoria stated, 'Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Province (NCOP) of South Africa, P (Les) Govender, along with other Members of the Parliament of South Africa, met All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, MPs from India at the National Council of Provinces of South Africa. Delegation members explained the background of terrorist incidents in India, including the Pahalgam Attack, and conveyed India's united message of Zero tolerance for terrorism.' 'Continuing the engagements in South Africa, the All-party delegation was welcomed and received by Consul General, Ms. Ruby Jaspreet at Cape Town for a meeting with various ministers and parliamentarians of South Africa,' it added. The all-party delegation received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora at their hotel in Johannesburg on Tuesday (local time). Chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Jai Hind' echoed through the premises as members of the diaspora gathered to greet the Group 7 delegation with enthusiasm and patriotic fervour. Earlier, after concluding their visit to Qatar, the all-party delegation departed from Doha to Johannesburg as part of their second leg of the four-nation visit to inform partner countries about Pakistan's links to terrorism, and India's Operation Sindoor launched to avenge the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam attack in which Pak-sponsored terrorists brutally killed 26 people. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), leading to the elimination of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)
India Gazette
28-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Supriya Sule led delegation visits Parliament of South Africa
Cape Town [South Africa], May 28 (ANI): The all-party delegation led by NCP-SCP Supriya Sule on Wednesday visited the Parliament of South Africa as part of the Modi government's diplomatic reach to highlight India's stand on terrorism in the wake of the operation Sindoor launched by Indian armed forces in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The delegation met with Les Govender, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, the Upper House, and 13 other MPs of various political parties. Earlier, delegation member Syed Akbaruddin, India's former permanent representative to the UN, termed the Pahalgam terror attack an attempt to undermine India's social cohesion and economic momentum. He was interacting with the Indian Diaspora here. 'Cricket is a passion for all of us. The only country before now that we refused to play was apartheid South Africa. I am raising this because we are now refusing to play cricket with another country. You need to understand the depth of our engagement and our revulsion at why we do this,' Akbaruddin said. 'Yes, this terrorist act led to a loss of a large number of lives, but it was much more. We see this as an act of undermining our social cohesion. We are a pluralistic country with diversity as our signature, yet we saw an attempt to undermine that social cohesion. More importantly, we see this as an attempt to undermine our economic momentum,' he added. He also highlighted how large the Indian economy is in comparison with that of Pakistan. 'India and Pakistan both started together as Midnight's Children. Our economy is about ten times or more than their economy. The economy of Maharashtra is perhaps larger than the economy of Pakistan,' says former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin. Supriya Sule said at the event that the terror attack in Pahalgam has deeply hurt every Indian around the world. Sule said that Prime Minister Modi extended a hand of friendship to neighbouring countries in 2014 when he took oath as Prime Minister, but the recent attack has shown that peace efforts have not been respected. 'When PM Modi took oath in 2014, he invited every neighbour to his oath ceremony to send a message that we wanted the subcontinent to be peaceful and happy and to grow together. But, unfortunately, with the Pahalgam incident, it has not happened. This incident has shaken every Indian everywhere in the world. I am happy South Africa has stood by India,' Sule added. Sule stated that it's PM Modi's wish that Operation Sindoor must reach the global stage to show that India will not tolerate terrorism and will always stand for peace without sacrificing innocent lives. The members of the delegation are Members of Parliament Supriya Sule, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Vikramjeet Singh Sahney, Manish Tewari, Anurag Singh Thakur, Lavu Sri Krishna devarayalu, Anand Sharma, former Minister of Commerce & Industry, V Muraleedharan, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, and Syed Akbaruddin, Former Permanent Representative of India to the UN. (ANI)
Eyewitness News
26-05-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Ramaphosa, Mashatile to field several questions before National Assembly, NCOP
CAPE TOWN - Both President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy, Paul Mashatile, will appear before the two houses of Parliament this week to field several questions around the economy and international affairs. Ramaphosa will be up first on Monday when he faces members of the National Assembly to answer questions, while Mashatile heads to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) later this week to respond to questions around the national dialogue. The engagements are part of oral question sessions with the president scheduled at least once a quarter. Ramaphosa, fresh from his visit to the United States (US) last week, will answer questions in the National Assembly on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and attempts to end the conflict. The president will be asked about the engagements that have been initiated to end the conflict and what the country's inputs have been. The discussion will most likely also touch on other international matters like his recent US visit, where he addressed disinformation about Afrikaner and white farmer persecution. Ramaphosa will also be grilled on whether he intends to take measures to shield South Africans from the rising cost of living because the household food basket has increased by nearly 40% above the rate of inflation. The president will also provide details to members on the new economic policies that he and his Cabinet have developed since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) last year. On Thursday, Deputy President Mashatile will have his own oral question-and-answer session in the NCOP, covering several issues, including whether the government is considering utilising the planned historic national dialogue to address the effects of many years of racial exclusion.
