30/06/2017 VOL,Vol, 5, 4, 312017 March 2021 Message from the Chargé ď Affaires betterment of the lives of Tanzanians; of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, assured that the Dear Readers country aimed at vaccinating 1.1 Million people by President Magufuli’s Swahili Language the end of March 2021. The second phase of Diplomacy and again to thank Tanzania I hope you enjoyed our last quarter Edition of South Africa’s vaccine rollout programme is and its people for assistance rendered to the Newsletter. envisaged to start on 17 May 2021. South African liberation movements. As is the norm, President Cyril Ramaphosa There are hurdles in realising this plan. The rich During the preparation of this Edition, we delivered virtually the State of the Nation and developed nations have ordered for their celebrated important dates of international Address (SONA) on 11 February 2021 citizens in advance. Although, the EU vaccination and national significance which included before a joint sitting of the two houses of campaign lags behind other countries due to amongst others, Valentine’s Day, 14 Parliament under the theme: “Following up problems with the drugmaker, Astra, in fulfilling its February, International Women’s Day, 8 on our commitments: Making your future delivery obligations to the 27-Nation Bloc, as March and the Human Rights Day, 21 work better”. The intention of the SONA is COVID-19 cases rise on that continent. March. The Month of March is regarded to report back on progress achieved, as the Human Right Month in South Africa challenges and crafting the future path. This Access to vaccines for developing countries has and 21 March the Human Rights Day. year President Ramaphosa outlined the become frightening. To this end, our Government The latter is important in the political following priorities that government should be has secured 11 million doses of the Johnson & calendar of South Africa as it is always concentrating on: Johnson vaccine, which is said to be effective celebrated in remembrance of Sixty-nine against the dominant variants in our country. The (69) people who were murdered by the • First, we must defeat the coronavirus Aspen manufacturing plant in the Eastern Cape is apartheid police on 21 March 1960. This pandemic, involved in producing the Johnson & Johnson commemoration also provides the country • Second, we must accelerate our vaccines. The Government is also at various with an opportunity to reflect on progress economic recovery, stages of negotiations with the manufacturers of made in the promotion and protection of • Third, we must implement economic other vaccines such as Pfizer, Sinovac, human rights. This year’s Human Right reforms to create sustainable jobs and Sinopharm and Sputnik V. Month was commemorated under the drive inclusive growth, and theme: “The year of Charlotte Maxeke: • And finally, we must fight corruption and Whilst dealing with the pandemic, President promoting human rights in the Age th strengthen the state. Ramaphosa chaired the 30th African Peer Review of COVID-19” and coincides with the 25 Forum of Heads of State and Government on 25 anniversary of the adoption of the Indeed South Africa has been adversely March 2021. Member states that participated at Constitution. affected by the coronavirus and impacted this virtual meeting included South Africa, negatively on the economy, businesses, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, The High Commission also wishes to health, education and generally the well- Mauritius, Nigeria, Djibouti and Egypt. announce that our Freedom Day on the 27 being of our people. Many people lost their of April 2021 will also not take place due to lives. Last year, the government declared a President Ramaphosa also undertook a visit to prevailing health conditions. National State of Disaster in response to the Tanzania to attend the funeral of late President COVID-19 pandemic and had to introduce John Pombe Magufuli who succumbed to heart Let’s enjoy reading this newsletter. measures to contain its spread. As of 6 April conditions on 17 March 2021. President 2021, 1 552 853 cases were registered, 53 Ramaphosa in his tribute to the late President Ms SV Dhlomo-Imieka, Chargè ď 032 deaths and 1 478 820 recoveries. 272 Magufuli recognised Tanzania’s assistance during Affaires 438 health care workers vaccinated. The the struggle against apartheid colonialism in South government has embarked on a vaccination Africa until the attainment of freedom in 1994; program with the view to vaccinate the President Magufuli’s strong believe in Pan- 1 elderly with comorbidities. Addressing Africanism; economic development and the Parliament on 25 February 2021, the Minister News from South Africa President Ramaphosa chaired African Peer Review Mechanism Meeting of Heads of State. and socioeconomic development processes Zone during this phase is expected to be President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his among member states. allocated to small, medium and micro capacity as Chairperson of the African The mechanism uses a holistic review process enterprises ; an amount equal to R1.7 Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), chaired that distinguishes it from other institutions billion in procurement opportunities. the 30th African Peer Review (APR) Forum through inclusive dialogue, independent and of Heads of State and Government objective reviews, peer learning and compliance Furthermore, the President reiterated meeting on Thursday, 25 March 2021. monitoring. – Source: SAnews.gov.za Toyota's investment in its KwaZulu-Natal facility to start production of the first AfCFTA: Alive with Possibilities generation of hybrid electric vehicles to President Ramaphosa assumed the Chair of the APRM in February 2020. come off a South African assembly line. The South African Government says it will The APR Forum is a Committee of maximise the opportunities presented by the “This follows investment announcements Participating Heads of State and Government African Continental Free Trade Area by Nissan, Mercedes Benz and Isuzu in of the member states of the African Union (AfCFTA), which came into operation on 1 expanded production facilities, all of which (AU) who have voluntarily chosen to accede January 2021, following the adoption of the cement South Africa’s position as a global to the APRM. This authority is the highest Johannesburg Declaration by the African player in auto manufacturing. decision-making body in the APRM. Union. “This year, our focus will be on getting the The APR Forum has ultimate responsibility industry back to full production, for oversight of the APRM organisation and implementing the Black Industrialists Fund processes,Date Month for mutualYear learning and capacity- and working on a new platform for building and for exercising constructive peer expanded auto trade with the rest of the dialogue and persuasion. These continent. programmes are in place to make the APRM effective, credible and acceptable. “This will be part of our concerted effort to boost the manufacturing sector,” the The 30th Summit of the forum, among others, President said. Source: SAnews.gov.za welcomed the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the newest member State to accede to the APRM. President Cyril Ramaphosa The AfCFTA is set to create a massive market and demand for locally-produced machinery, clothes and food; provide a platform for South African businesses to expand into markets across the continent; and for South Africa to position itself as a gateway to the continent. “The Summit was expected to conduct the Delivering the 2021 State of the Nation Address peer review of Liberia; discuss reports on on Thursday, 11 February 2021, President Cyril targeted reviews of Sierra Leone and Zambia; Ramaphosa said South Africa was already at receive a briefing on Sudan’s governance work to reindustrialise the economy. gap analysis; and receive an update on progress in Nigeria’s second review process. This, the President said, was being done through initiatives such as the Ford Motor Company’s “Kenya and Mozambique will also make investment in the economy. The company presentations on implementation of their recently announced a R16-billion investment in national programmes of action. President the South African market, which is expected to Ramaphosa will also use the opportunity of majorly bump up jobs and local production. the 30th Summit of the APR Forum to apprise Ford Motor Company announced a R16-billion his counterparts about the progress of the investment to expand their manufacturing facility 2nd Generation Review in South Africa,” The in Tshwane for the next generation Ford Ranger Presidency said in a statement. bakkie. The APRM was established in 2003 as a specialised agency of the AU that serves as a “This investment will support the growth of platform for sharing experiences and around 12 small and medium enterprises in reinforcing best practices towards political automotive component manufacturing,” the stability, accelerated economic growth and President said. regional and continental integration as well as Nearly half of the procurement spend on sustainable development. 2 It further seeks to foster change in underlying construction of the bulk earthworks and top deficiencies in governance structure at the Tshwane Special Economic The First COVID-19 Vaccine Developed in News from South Africa Africa A group of South African Scientists has President Ramaphosa addressed the this capacity,” said Deputy President designed and developed the first COVID-19 Mining Indaba Mabuza. vaccine of African origin, called Shantivax President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the The company is the storage centre for Port Elizabeth-based immunotherapy company, opening remarks at the annual Investing in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is Genlab, together with Danish biotechnology African Mining Indaba on Tuesday, 2 currently reserved for healthcare workers company, Immunitrack, have created a “next February 2021 across the country following a decision . generation vaccine” that will elicit both an antibody by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) and T-cell response. The indaba, which was held virtually this on COVID-19 Vaccines.