Deputy President Motlanthe to undertake an Official Visit to the Republic of Poland. The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Kgalema Motlanthe, will undertake an Official Visit to the Republic of Poland from 14-15 March 2014 at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, His Excellency Donald Franciszek Tusk.

Address by President Jacob Zuma on the occasion of the release of the 20 Year Review: South Africa 1994 to 2014, Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House, Pretoria, 11 March 2014. Thank you for joining us on this important occasion. The year 2014 represents a historic milestone of twenty years of freedom and democracy in our country. It is an occasion to reflect on what has been achieved in our country over the past twenty years, by South Africans working together.

SA Government to address alleged abuses against prisoners in Mozambique. The South African Government has taken note of media reports alleging that South African female prisoners in Mozambique are subjected to sexual abuse and related conditions of hardship. The South African government views these allegations in a serious light. The matter will be brought to the attention of the Mozambican authorities for further investigations.

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane to attend inauguration of Chilean President-elect, Michelle Bachelet. International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has, today, Friday, 07 March 2014, arrived in Santiago, the Republic of Chile, where she will represent South Africa at the inauguration ceremonies of the new Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet.

Press Statement on the visit to South Africa by Dr Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dr Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran, paid an official visit to South Africa from 4 to 7 March 2014 at the invitation of Mr Max Sisulu, the Speaker of the National Assembly. In addition to his meeting with Mr Sisulu, Dr Larijani also held discussions with President Jacob Zuma on issues of bilateral and international concern.

Deputy Minister Fransman to represent SA at the SADC Council of Ministers. The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Marius Fransman, is scheduled to lead a South African delegation to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers meeting, which will take place on 10-11 March 2014 in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane concludes working visit to Switzerland. International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has on Thursday, 06 March 2014, concluded her working visit to Geneva, Switzerland where she participated in the high-level segment of the 25th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).

President Zuma to Receive Letters of Credence. President Jacob Zuma will tomorrow, 06 March 2014, receive letters of credence from Ambassadors and High Commissioners-designate at a credentials ceremony that will take place at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.

Mr Ramaphosa visits South Sudan. Following his appointment as a Special Envoy to South Sudan, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, the Deputy Chairperson of the National Planning Commission & Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC), will from 05 to 12 March 2014 be visiting South Sudan and some countries belonging to the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Statement by H. E Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, delivered at The High-Level Segment of the 25th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Tuesday, 04 March 2014. I bring you warm greetings from the Government and people of South Africa, the land of Nelson Mandela who left us with the words that (and I quote): “We shall never allow our country to play host to racism. Nor shall our voices be stilted if we see that another, elsewhere in the world, is victim to racial tyranny” (close quote).

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane to take part in a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Switzerland. International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will participate in the high-level segment of the 25th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), scheduled for 03-05 March 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Statement on the Cabinet Meeting of 5 March 2014. Cabinet’s decisions on current issues and upcoming events - Cabinet reiterates President Jacob Zuma’s call on government, business and labour to work together to grow our economy at a rate that is able to create more jobs. The State of the Nation Address and the Budget Speech laid the foundation for intensified implementation of the National Development Plan over the next term of the new administration.

Tribute by the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, at the Thanksgiving Service to Celebrate the Life and Work of Former President Nelson Mandela, London, United Kingdom, 03 March 2014. Nelson Mandela, a visionary leader, represented the possibility of a better human society, not only in South Africa but in the world at large.  His life gave bearing to transcendent values.

SA condemns terrorist attack in the People’s Republic of China. The South African Government condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack which took place at the Kunming Railway Station in the People’s Republic of China on 01 March 2014 which claimed the lives of 29 innocent people and left more than 130 people injured.

SA calls for a peaceful resolution to the situation in Ukraine. The South African Government would like to express its deep concern about the unfolding political situation in Ukraine. Consistent with our foreign policy that favours and promotes peaceful resolution of conflicts, South Africa urges the protagonists in the stand-off to settle the crisis through dialogue.

Joint Statement on the occasion of the Visit of H. E. Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, to Indonesia, Jakarta, 1 March 2014. At the invitation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Dr. R. M. Marty M. Natalegawa, the Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, H. E. Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane paid a visit to Indonesia from 28 February to 2 March 2014.

Remarks by Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, at the Opening Session of the 2nd Conference on Cooperation Amongst East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD II), Jakarta, Indonesia, 1 March 2014. Let me begin by thanking our host for honouring us with the invitation to participate in this gathering of friends of the Palestinian people whose struggle for their right to self-determination and statehood has been on the agenda of the international community for decades.

Deputy President Motlanthe to undertake a working visit to the United Kingdom. Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is scheduled to undertake a working visit to London, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), from 02-03 March 2014.

2014 Budget Speech by Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan, 26 February 2014. I have the honour to present the fifth and last budget of President Zuma’s first administration. In just over two months, we will again exercise our most fundamental expression of freedom – our right to vote for a new government.

Developments regarding the status of LGBTI persons worldwide. South Africa takes note of the recent developments regarding the situation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex persons (LGBTI) worldwide. The South African Government will, through existing diplomatic channels, be seeking clarification on these developments from many capitals around the world.

Public Lecture by Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim, “Twenty Years of South African Involvement in Conflict Resolution: Lessons Learned and the Case of Syria”, University of Pretoria, 24 February 2014. I wish to thank the Department of Political Sciences and the Centre for Mediation in Africa for the opportunity to address you this evening. I look forward to the exchange of ideas later in the programme during the question and answer session and would like to encourage you to ask tough questions so that we can have a thorough discussion.

Deputy Minister Ebrahim to address seminar hosted by the University of Pretoria

The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ebrahim Ebrahim, will deliver a keynote address at a seminar hosted by the University of Pretoria’s Department of Political Sciences and the Centre for Mediation in Africa. The topic of Deputy Minister Ebrahim’s address will be on “Twenty Years of South African Involvement in Conflict Resolution: Lessons Learned and the Case of Syria”.

Remarks by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, on the occasion of the join press briefing with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Government of South Africa attaches great importance to the ties that have been built between our country and the Republic of Azerbaijan and we look forward to enhancing our relations further. Azerbaijan is a rapidly developing young democracy with a steadily growing economy and a stable political system.

Address by President Jacob Zuma in Response to the Debate on the State of the Nation Address, National Assembly, Cape Town, 20 February 2014. Thank you Honourable Speaker for the opportunity to respond to the debate on the 2014 State of the Nation Address. Allow me Honourable Speaker to extend a warm welcome to the Minister of Local Government of the Palestinian National Authority, Dr Al-Koni and his delegation, who are in the country for bilateral discussions with our Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Ministry.

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane to host the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, is scheduled to host the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr Elmar Mammadyarov, on 21 February 2014.  The objectives of the visit are to strengthen bilateral political and economic relations as well as cooperation in defence, energy, education and skills development.

Statement on the Cabinet Meeting of 19 February 2014. Cabinet’s position on prominent issues in the current environment - The 24th State of the Nation Address (SoNA) since the ushering in of democracy provided a critical end-of-term assessment on the implementation of government priorities for 2009-2014. The introduction of the outcomes system in 2009 enabled evidence-based and results-oriented monitoring of implementation to ensure that government delivered efficiently and effectively.

Statement by Honourable Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations & Cooperation, during the National Assembly Debate on President’s State of the Nation Address, 18 February 2014. Our freedom is a product of our people’s struggles and international solidarity. Tata Oliver Tambo would be satisfied that the foreign policy we pursue today resonates with what he and many other heroes like Johnny Makhathini envisaged.

State of the Nation Address By His Excellency Jacob G Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa on the occasion of the Joint Sitting Of Parliament, Cape Town, 13 February 2014. Good evening, sanibonani, molweni, dumelang, riperile, ndimadekwana, goeienaand. I wish to thank the Presiding Officers for this opportunity to speak to the people of South Africa, on this occasion of the last State of the Nation Address, of the fourth democratic administration.

President Zuma concludes visit to Brazzaville. His Excellency President Jacob Zuma has returned from Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo, after attending the 25th anniversary celebrations of the signing of the Brazzaville Accord on Peace in Southern Africa, at the invitation of His Excellency President Denis Sassou-N'guesso of the Republic of Congo. The celebrations coincided with the release of former President Nelson Mandela from prison on 11 February 1990.

Address by His Excellency, President Jacob Zuma, on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the Brazzaville Accord on Peace in Southern Africa. On behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of South Africa, it is my singular honour to extend our congratulations to the Government and the people of the Republic of Congo on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Signing of the Brazzaville Accord on Peace in Southern Africa.

President Zuma to visit Congo Brazzaville. His Excellency President Jacob Zuma will, at the invitation of His Excellency President Dennis Sassou-N’guesso, President of the Republic of Congo, undertake a working visit to Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo on 11 February 2014. President Zuma will attend the celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the Signature of the Brazzaville Accord on Peace in Southern Africa.

New talent for Ubuntu Radio. Since the Department of International Relations and Cooperation launched Ubuntu Radio four months ago, the station has been steadily positioning itself as an authority when it comes to "telling the African story by Africans from an African perspective". One of its winning formula has been the ability to attract the best and well known credible and "independent thinking" South Africans as On-Air Personalities/anchors.

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane to address BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation meeting. The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, is scheduled to speak at the BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation ministerial meeting in Cape Town on 10 February 2014. This meeting originates within the context of the First Summit of the BRICS Leaders held in 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where the Leaders at that time envisaged cooperation in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation with the aim to engage in fundamental research and development of advanced technologies.

Address by Mr Marius Fransman, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, on the occasion of the International Solidarity Conference on Cuba, Western Sahara and Palestine, hosted by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, Good Hope Chamber, 6 February 2014. I am profoundly honoured to address this august gathering on the occasion of the International Solidarity Conference with Cuba, Western Sahara and Palestine not only because these three countries have occupied such an important place in our discourse over the past two decades for a just, caring and peaceful global dispensation but because each in their own right have carried the flag of struggle for human rights, solidarity and freedom.

President Zuma arrives in Addis Ababa to attend the 22nd AU Summit. The President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Jacob Zuma, has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 22nd Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly, scheduled to take place on 30 and 31st January 2014. The theme of the Summit is "2014 - Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, Marking the 10th Anniversary of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme".

Deputy Minister Fransman concludes visit to Madagascar. International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Marius Fransman concluded his official visit on Sunday, 26 January 2014, in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Deputy Minister Fransman represented President Jacob Zuma at the inauguration of the newly and democratically elected President of Madagascar. South Africa, as part of SADC, played a leading role in the process of mediation during the past five years, including serving and chairing  the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.

Statement by the South African Government on the adoption of the Tunisian Constitution and appointment of the new Government of Tunisia. The Government of South Africa would like to congratulate the people of the Republic of Tunisia on the occasion of the adoption of their new constitution. Three years since the revolution of 14 January 2011 and just over two years since the start of their mandate, the elected representatives of the people of Tunisia have shown the world and the African continent in particular, the value of dialogue, consultation and consensus.

South Africa welcomes the signing of two agreements to end the conflict in South Sudan. The South African Government welcomes the signing on 23 January 2014 in Addis Ababa by the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army – SPLM/A (in opposition) of Agreements on the Cessation of Hostilities and the Status of Detainees, under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Deputy Minister Fransman to attend the inauguration of Madagascar’s new President. The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Marius Fransman, is departing on 23 January 2014 for the Republic of Madagascar to represent His Excellency President Jacob Zuma and the South African Government at the inauguration of Madagascar’s President-elect on 25 January 2014.

Statement by the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ebrahim Ebrahim, on his Working Visit to the Yemeni Republic, 23 January 2014, OR Tambo Building, Pretoria. From 19-21 January 2014, we undertook a Working Visit to Sana’a, Yemen, to take up the case of Mr Pierre Korkie, a South African citizen kidnapped nine months ago in the city of Taiz. As you know, Mr Korkie was kidnapped together with his wife, Yolande, whilst in Yemen in May 2013. The kidnappers released Yolande on 10 January 2014, and Pierre remains in captivity.

Appeal by Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim to the kidnappers of a South African citizen. Explanatory note: Below, we publish an appeal made by Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim addressed to the kidnappers of Mr Pierre Korkie, a South African citizen who has been in captivity in Yemen since May 2013. Deputy Minister Ebrahim made the appeal through Yemeni television whilst in that country for consultations with the Government of Yemen.

Deputy Minister Ebrahim to brief the media on his visit to Yemen

The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ebrahim Ebrahim, will brief the media on his visit to the Yemeni Republic. Deputy Minister Ebrahim travelled to Yemen to consult with the government and other role players in Yemen about the case of Mr Pierre Korkie, a South African citizen who, together with his wife Yolande, has been in captivity in Yemen since mid-2013.