President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned AfriForum and Solidarity for “spreading misinformation” about SA in the US, calling their behaviour “unpatriotic”.
Speaking in parliament on Tuesday during a question-and-answer session, Ramaphosa said a patriot addresses domestic challenges within their country rather than seeking foreign intervention.
“By running to other countries and promoting false narratives, these groups have contributed to actions that negatively impact SA. Other people who keep going hither and thither in the end do not represent SA. South Africa is represented by the executive of SA.”
Ramaphosa said foreign policy remains the prerogative of the executive branch of government and that an envoy will still be sent to the US.
“We have expressed concern about the mischaracterisation of the situation in our country and setting of our foreign policy positions. We will continue to engage the United States of America and other stakeholders to correct this mischaracterisation and to ensure that we restore ties between our two countries,” he said.
He also addressed concerns regarding the use of pension funds for infrastructure investment.
“Resources held by financial institutions, including those that are held by pension funds, are the funds of pensioners or workers whose hard-earned money will be used for their retirement. They are not state resources,” he said.
Ramaphosa said that National Treasury had amended regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act to enable long-term infrastructure investment, setting an upper limit of 45% for such investments.
“To further facilitate investment in infrastructure and economic development, the limit between hedge funds and private equity has also been split. There will now be a separate and higher allocation to private equity assets. It is increased from 10% to 15% to allow for greater investment in infrastructure by these entities,” he said.
On land reform, he admitted that progress had been slow but noted that black participation in agriculture is increasing. “We have not been as fast as we ought to have been. But at the same time, a number of agricultural economists do testify to the fact that progress is being made, and it is being made in a determined manner. We hasten it through the various initiatives that we have,” he said.
He cited the recently enacted Expropriation Act as a key legislative tool in advancing land reform. “A multiplicity of initiatives are under way, and I am confident that, yes, we will finally be able to achieve the objective that our people have struggled for over the years,” he said.
Ramaphosa also said SA would not be withdrawing the SA National Defence Force members who are on a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “The situation in the eastern DRC, particularly in Sake and Goma, continues to be precarious, and that is where our troops are located, and the situation is quite tenuous.
“But at the same time, the cessation of hostilities is holding now through the various summits and meetings and discussions that we are holding from the chiefs of defence force to ministers to the heads of state,” he said.
Ramaphosa assured parliament that diplomatic efforts are under way to reach a permanent peace agreement.
“We are hoping that we will be able to have a more durable ceasefire that will lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities,” he said.
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