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[1/2] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his State of the Nation Address at parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, June 20, 2019. REUTERS/Rodger Bosch/Pool via REUTERSJOHANNESBURG, Dec 1 (Reuters) - President Cyril Ramaphosa, the anti-apartheid champion who become one of South Africa's wealthiest businessmen and then its most powerful politician, was battling for his political survival on Thursday. Ramaphosa was the leading negotiator for the African National Congress (ANC) during talks that led to a peaceful end to apartheid in 1994, which enabled Nelson Mandela to become South Africa's first Black president. Shanduka Holdings, which is unlisted, has become one of the biggest black-owned groups in the country, holding 10% stakes in South Africa's biggest bank, Standard Bank, and insurer Liberty. Ramaphosa's negotiating skills at constitutional talks in the early 1990s won him grudging respect from South Africa's last white president, F.W.

☆ Cyril Ramaphosa facing impeachment calls
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Johannesburg CNN —South African president Cyril Ramaphosa is facing calls to step down from opposition leaders and even senior figures in his ruling African National Congress party after an independent panel found there is initial evidence that he could have violated his oath of office. President Ramaphosa most likely did breach a number of Constitutional provisions and has a case to answer. The panel was appointed by the speaker of parliament after a motion from a smaller opposition party. The National Assembly will consider the report and may institute impeachment proceedings – though the ANC does hold a majority of seats. Ramaphosa took office after his predecessor Jacob Zuma was forced to resign because of multiple allegations of Corruption.

☆ South Africa's economy at a pivotal point as outlook improves but political, energy risks remain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

South Africa's long-awaited economic reforms have begun to improve the country's outlook, but the age-old problems of political uncertainty and a failing power system still pose significant risks. But deep divisions within the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and his own cabinet have made for sluggish progress. However, political frailties and persistent issues at a state-owned utility continue to pose present economic risks. Montana said that in order to secure sustained economic growth, the South African government will need to prioritize energy sustainability. "Energy will require financial assistance from international players, but they will also need to ensure that it doesn't have a negative impact on South African society," he said.

☆ South Africa’s Leader Wins a Crucial A.N.C. Political Battle
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( John Eligon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At the gathering, held every five years, members choose the A.N.C.’s top officials, including their president, and the party’s president typically serves as the country’s president. National elections are set for 2024, and the A.N.C. has won an outright majority of votes in every national election since South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. Mr. Ramaphosa won nominations from 2,037 branches, more than double that of his closest challenger, Zweli Mkhize. But analysts cautioned not to make too much of the results because the contest could change drastically by the time the conference begins.

☆ South Africa's Ramaphosa focuses on the poor as he seeks ANC re-election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ramaphosa was concluding the African National Congress (ANC) executive committee meeting before an elective conference next month chooses the party's candidate for 2024 national elections. The president faces multiple challengers from within the party, mostly allied to his predecessor Jacob Zuma. Much may depend on whether Ramaphosa is seen as the best candidate to revive the fortunes of the ANC, the popularity of which is at an all-time low. He also pledged to forge ahead with policies to improve the standard of public education and introduce universal health insurance. The ANC's black empowerment initiatives were also mentioned, with Ramaphosa saying the measures need to be more "broad-based".

☆ South Africa's new ground station to help NASA track space flights
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MATJIESFONTEIN, South Africa Nov 8 (Reuters) - A new deep-space ground station being built in South Africa's semi-desert Karoo region will come online by 2025 to help track history-making NASA missions to the moon and beyond, space agency officials said Tuesday. The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) will establish, operate and maintain the station. South Africa has committed an initial 70 million rand ($3.93 million) to build the infrastructure and communications needed to ready the site, part of the government's investment in building its space infrastructure and research base. "NASA would not come to South Africa if they didn't feel that we have capacities to do the work in partnership with them," said Phil Mjwara, director general at South Africa's department of science and innovation. ($1 = 17.8206 rand)Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

But this focus obscures what is happening on the ground, every day: Local and national public health workers and epidemiologists, or “disease detectives,” around the world are stopping outbreaks in their tracks and preventing epidemics. The case studies show what is possible when local, state and national communities mobilize a whole-of-society effort to prevent epidemics. When local efforts are supported by national and local government, we can stop and prevent epidemics. Another lesson is the substantial return on investment we can realize by prioritizing and funding preparedness efforts. Finally, there is a crucial role that coordination among local, state and federal agencies plays in epidemic prevention.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - American presidents often use economic sanctions as a geopolitical lever against countries with whom they are in conflict but have stopped short of a shooting war. Yet while sanctions can inflict severe economic pain, history suggests they lack a decisive political punch. The sanctions against Russia were swift and closely coordinated. Meanwhile, authorities slapped targeted sanctions on hundreds of Russian individuals, defense and transport firms, financial institutions, tech groups and energy companies. Economic restrictions sped up the country’s transition from apartheid to majority rule by the African National Congress.

☆ This entrepreneur started his company as a side hustle while working for Shopify. Now he's committed full-time to his beef jerky business, which generates about $30,000 in monthly sales.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Daniel Patricio started his online store, Bull and Cleaver, while working at Shopify. Daniel Patricio's Shopify store, Bull and Cleaver, generates about $30,000 a month in sales of biltong, a South African-style beef jerky. But the direct-to-consumer business has decidedly humble origins; it started as a side hustle while Patricio worked on the product team at Shopify. Patricio started his store in 2015, a couple of years into his eight-year tenure at Shopify. "This is an amazing product," Patricio said.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will host South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office for a bilateral meeting Friday, where they're expected to discuss the war in Ukraine. In April, Biden and Ramaphosa had "a frank and open conversation about what was happening in Ukraine," a senior administration official said, previewing the meeting. Ramaphosa has refrained from condemning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, and his country has largely remained neutral during the conflict. Ramaphosa, 69, has served as the president of South Africa since 2018 and also is president of the African National Congress. He previously was the chairperson of the African Union and was the deputy president of South Africa.

☆ Mbongeni Buthelezi: The South African artist turning plastic into portraits
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-14 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —While other artists might use watercolors or oil paints, Mbongeni Buthelezi uses waste plastics to create highly textured portraits at his studio in Booysens, Johannesburg. He explained that plastic litter was so common in grazing areas that it became an unwelcome part of the cows’ regular diet. In 2018, 107,000 metric tons of plastic waste from South Africa ended up in the marine environment. With plastic waste growing around the world, Buthelezi is using his work to both highlight and combat the issue. Buthelezi uses plastic litter to create artworks depicting life in South Africa.

Persons: ” Buthelezi, ”, Buthelezi, “, “ I’m, what’s “, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, Black, African Institute of Art, Johannesburg Art Foundation, Fine Arts, University of, African National Science and Technology Locations: Booysens, Johannesburg, KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa, Soweto, Witwatersrand, Germany, USA, Barbados, Egypt, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi

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