President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Friday, 3 February 2023, conclude the first Cabinet Lekgotla for 2023, where government is currently deliberating its programme of action for the year.

Chaired by the President, the Lekgotla allows the National Executive to review the performance of government against targets and objectives set in 2022.

It is also a platform for the national leadership to agree on key actions that are needed this year to advance the country’s economic recovery and long-term development, with resolution of the electricity crisis as the top priority.

The Lekgotla resolutions will form the basis of the State of the Nation Address, which President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver to a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces – convened in the Cape Town City Hall – at 19h00 on Thursday, 9 February 2023.

The State of the Nation Address is an occasion in which the three arms of the state – the Judiciary, the National Legislature and the Executive – participate as a demonstration of the country’s constitutional dispensation and culture, and to ensure that all three arms are focused on national priorities.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATE ON THE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS – 14-15 FEBRUARY

Political parties will debate the President’s Address in the National Assembly on Tuesday and Wednesday 14 and 15 February, with the President replying to this debate on the afternoon of Thursday, 16 February.

MINING INDABA – 07 FEBRUARY

With its emphasis on the challenges facing the country and the role all sectors of society can play in building a better future, the State of the Nation Address has become a focal point of interaction between different sectors of civil society, the administration and legislators.

In this regard, the President will on Tuesday, 7 February, address the annual Investing in African Mining Indaba – or Mining Indaba – which is themed “Unlocking African Mining Investment: Stability, Security, and Supply”.

This event attracts more than 6 000 delegates comprising investors, innovators, companies in the mining and natural resources sector, lawmakers and Ministers associated with these sectors.

Organisers estimate the five-day conference itself contributes close to R20m to national taxes.

PRESIDENTIAL GOLF CHALLENGE – 10 FEBRUARY 

Following the delivery of the State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa will on Friday, 10 February, officiate the annual Presidential Golf Challenge at Atlantic Beach Golf Club at Melkbosstrand, Western Cape.

Coordinated by the Department for the Public Service and Administration, the  Presidential Golf Challenge raises funds for charities designated by the sitting President.

The Challenge allows the private sector to participate in developmental initiatives to empower society, with this year’s contributions going to the Adopt-a-School Foundation’s programme to support schools with sanitation infrastructure and services.

Th foundation is an award-winning non-profit organisation that supports the creation and enhancement of a conducive learning and teaching environment in disadvantaged schools. The foundation is a partner entity to the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation.

DIRCO UBUNTU AWARDS – 11 FEBRUARY

Leveraging the participation of the international diplomatic corps based in South Africa in events around the State of the Nation Address, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation will on Saturday, 11 February, host its annual Ubuntu Awards ceremony in Cape Town.

President Ramaphosa will address this occasion which recognises South African industry leaders, eminent persons and ordinary South African citizens for their distinguished service and contribution towards promoting the country’s national interests and values across the world.

AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT – 17-19 FEBRUARY

Following his participation in an Extra-Ordinary Organ Troika Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community on 31 January 2023, President Ramaphosa will continue his international programme by attending the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union from 17 to 19 February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 Africa’s political leadership will convene under the economically focused theme, “Accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement” in a year which marks the the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the continuing 20th anniversary of the creation of the African Union in 2002 as successor to the OAU.

As part of a project to provoke, ignite and inspire fact-bases active citizenship under the Justice Under Rule Of Law (JUROL) initiative, in this story is Mr Shayne Kundai’s understanding of the SMM story in a conversation with Prof Tichaona Mupasiri on 28 JANUARY 2028.

Mr. Chin’ono is a respected journalist and the exchange in Part 1 of this addition to the SMM narrative adds to the confusion that provoked Mr. Mugore to express openly his wish that Mr. Mawere write a memoir to set the record straight hence the involvement of Mr. Kundai. 

Mr. Chin’ono stated as true and fact that:

“Surrogates were people like Mutumwa Mawere who was his front until they fell out.

Today surrogates refers to people like Kuda Tagwirei who has been a front for State looting using his myriad of companies.”

Based on the above and since 1996, the year in which the video relied upon to assert that Mawere was MNANGAGWA’S FRONT, a respectable journalist whose duty is to inform, educate and entertain the public, clearly premised his conclusion that MAWERE was MNANGAGWA’s surrogate on the unconnected and untested utterances made by MNANGAGWA in a public platform.

Mr. Mpasiri said: “It is this kind of reckless and malicious trophy hunting type of gutter journalism that provoked me to confront Mr. Chin’ono and his response was chilling as set out below:

“TM: Thank you for the honest response and obviously when I watched the video, I could not make the link between Mutumwa Mawere and the looting. 

Perhaps you can share evidence supporting the allegation of surrogacy and the corruption therefore in, so that I can afford both president Mnangagwa and Mawere to give their own account of the precise nature of the alleged link between public power and private benefit.

Unfortunately, the video’s content does not establish the causal link which is vital in determining any dispute in an Independent and impartial manner.

HC: I didn’t say Mutumwa was corrupt.

I said that there were public funds that were doled out which amounted to looting.

HC: You are misinterpreting what I said.

The video has nothing to do with Mutumwa being corrupt, it was meant to illustrate how public funds were looted way before sanctions.

TM: Thank you for clarifying and I am intrigued by your response. 

You have asserted as true and fact that Mawere was Mnangagwa front and this aspect is not self-evident in the video, suggesting that evidence exists that the alleged fronting you are talking about, is supported by concrete evidence which is required in any bona fide process, seeking to hold people accountable for their conduct or misconduct. 

I would be grateful if you can identify in precise terms what Mawere front for Mnangagwa.”

The above was unfortunately the end of the chat leaving any reader to question the basis on which a person like Hopewell operates. 

The view that Mnangagwa uses surrogates to allegedly loot public resources is not unique to Hopewell but to many compelling anyone to probe this question deeper than hitherto. 

Mr. Chin’ono was interviewed by the SABC on the subject of the war against corruption in Zimbabawe and he proudly shared the interview on this link with Me. Mpasiri: 

Mr. Frederick Koomson, Director of the Justice Under Rule of Law (JUROL) – Investigative Journalism (IJ) initiative said: “I am shocked if this criminality clothed as craft excellence exists and operates through Hopewell, then I shudder to imagine what is left of this glorious profession commonly described as the 4th State.

In this case, Hopewell maliciously imported a video into a narrative that he wished to peddle that Mnanagwa uses surrogates to prosecute corruption.

I have had a look at this interview and the inescapable conclusion Hopewell’s activism clothed as journalism poses so grave a threat to the rule of law that if nothing is done to hold him to account for not only putting the entire profession into disrepute but for undermining the public confidence in the profession as a guardian of the practitioners’ independence and impartiality.”

Hopewell Chin’ono, Award Winning Journalist & Documentary: 

Mr. Mpasiri, BOAF’s Director of Corporate and Legal Literacy said: “I had a no idea that even after exposing his fraud, Hopewell was blind to what actually had transpired when he sought to unashamedly deny what he had asserted as true and fact that Mawere was in 1996, Mnangagwa’s surrogate, only to deny having said this by accusing me of misunderstanding him.” 

Mr. Kundai them approached Prof Mupasiri, who in a landmark case under Case Number CCZ 34/21 approached the apex court if Zimbabwe seeking President Mnangagwa to account for his state of knowledge and involvement in the facts and circumstances of the reconstruction of SMM using extrajudicial means.

Advocate Jack Matiza, a member of the Friends of SMM (FOSMM), JUROL and BOAF initiatives aimed at promoting, protecting, and upholding the rule of law said: “After watching Hopewell’s interview on SABC that Hopewell had encouraged Mr. Mpasiri to watch and share, i understood why the memoir challenge should be a call to action for anyone who had hope that people like Hopewell could be relied upon to shape the personality and character of an open, accountable, transparent and alternative governance system, his conduct which is inconsistent with s2 of the constitution confirms otherwise.”

The Extraordinary Summit of the Organ Troika of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) plus SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) Personnel Contributing Countries (PCCs) and the Republic of Mozambique, was held virtually on 12th April, 2022.

The summit was officially opened and chaired by His Excellency Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

The summit was attended by SADC Heads of State and Government, their representatives and members of the Troika of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO), Ministers from the SAMIM Personnel Contributing Countries, the SADC Executive Secretary and Head of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).

The progress of SAMIM was noted by the summit, as presented by the Head of the SADC Mission in Mozambique, and commended SAMIM leadership, including men and women on the ground for their sacrifices and commitment to the fight against terrorists acts in some parts of Cabo Delgado Province.

The transition of SAMIM from Scenario 6, (Rapid Deployment Capability) to Scenario 5 (Multidimensional Force), with a robust mandate was approved and the summit commended SAMIM Personnel Contributing Countries for their continued support by pledging capabilities and personnel to enhance the effectiveness of SAMIM operations, and urged Member States to continue supporting the mission.

The summit expressed its appreciation to the African Union (AU) and the International Cooperating Partners (ICP’s) for the support towards stabilization of the security situation as well as the socio-economic recovery and development of Cabo Delgado Province.

Expressing solidarity with the Republics of Botswana, South Africa, Kingdom of Lesotho and the United Republic of Tanzania for the demise of soldiers serving the Mission, the summit expressed words of comfort for those wounded in action.

The Republics of Zimbabwe and Malawi were commended by the summit for the spirit of solidarity expressed through delivery of the pledged donation of foodstuff in 3 support of Humanitarian assistance to the affected population of Cabo Delgado.

The Head of Mission was directed to coordinate with the Republic of Mozambique on the implementation of the comprehensive Integrated Reconstruction and Development Plan of Cabo Delgado.

The summit acknowledged the expression of gratitude by His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique for SADC’s continued support, collaboration and cooperation towards attainment of sustainable peace and security in the Cabo Delgado Province.

His Excellency Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, was commended for his leadership in steering the work of the Organ in pursuit of lasting peace, security and stability in the SADC region.

Speaking after the summit, Mr. Tinashe Mpasiri, a member of Justice Under Rule of Law (JUROL), an initiative of the Banking On Africa’s Future (BOAF), said, “Peace is not simply about the absence of violence. It is defined by the presence of fundamental liberties and the prevalence of economic opportunities. Justice under rule of law is a step towards prevalence of economic opportunities. Absent the rule of law economic development is a mirage and it is the duty of the citizens to ensure that public office bearers who have taken an oath to uphold, promote and defend the constitution of the republic, are held accountable for their conduct.”