South Africa will face “tough decisions” as it works to repair its economy after years of stagnation, new President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a sober address on Friday that sought to draw a line under the turbulent rule of his predecessor Jacob Zuma. Hailing a “new dawn” a day after his inauguration, he promised to fight corruption, which had weakened the state-owned enterprises in Africa’s most industrialized economy, and to trim a bloated cabinet. Ramaphosa said his government was committed to “policy certainty and consistency,” in contrast to Zuma, who was criticised for policy shifts and unpredictable cabinet changes that rocked domestic financial markets and confounded investors. The 65-year-old was sworn in as head of state on Thursday after Zuma reluctantly resigned on orders of the ANC. “This is the year in which we will turn the tide of corruption in our public institutions,” Ramaphosa said in his first State of the Nation address. “We are determined to build a society defined by decency and integrity, that does not tolerate the plunder of public resources, nor the theft by corporate criminals of the hard-earned savings of ordinary people,” he added. Ramaphosa’s election as president, which was unopposed in the parliament, has prompted a wave of optimism among South Africans hungry for change after nine years of economic stagnation and corruption scandals. Zuma denies all wrongdoing. “Tough decisions have to be made to close our fiscal gap, stabilise our debt and restore our state-owned enterprises to health,” Ramaphosa said. He promised… [Read full story]
Visitors at the Vietnam booth at the event (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi
(VNA) – Vietnamese firms are displaying products at the 24th South African International
Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) opened on June 25 in Johannesburg city, South Africa.
The businesses promoted
their strengths in agriculture, household appliances and wooden furniture,
among others, enticing local importers and visitors who were interested in the prices,
quality, producing process and export possibility of Vietnamese goods.
The fair offers an
opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to introduce Vietnamese export staples
in South Africa and Africa in general, said Vu Van Dung, Vietnamese…... [read more]
The Da Nang Branch of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) cooperated with the Embassy of South Africa to organise a seminar entitled "Promoting Vietnam - South Africa trade, investment and tourism." The event was a great opportunity for businesses in Vietnam, in central region in particular, to promote cooperation with the market. Speaking at the seminar, VCCI Da Nang Deputy Director Nguyen Dien said Vietnam established diplomatic relations with South Africa on December 22, 1993 and had close relationships with the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP). Since then, the bilateral ties…... [read more]
Hanoi Times - Vietnam's textile export turnover to South Africa (SA) is not so high. However, analysts strongly believe that South Africa is a potential customer of Vietnam. One reason for this belief is that in 2007 the growth rate was over 400 percent, and the export turnover was US$ 10.92 million in the first ten months. The other reason is SA textile import turnover accounts for 20-25% of the total import turnover. It is a big chance for Vietnamese textile firms to push the exportation. The self-defence of SA against China textile exportation in 2008 and the textile import…... [read more]
JOHANNESBURG, July 11, 2010 (AFP) - South Africa overcame years of skepticism about its ability to host the World Cup, pulling off the four-week tournament without major incident and showing off the nation's modern face. Here's a look at how the tournament has gone: SECURITY Crime was one of the main concerns at the World Cup, in a nation with an average of 50 murders a day, which overwhelmingly affect the poorest South Africans. With 44,000 police devoted to the tournament, crime for fans has remained mostly minor. Stadium stewards held wildcat strikes over the opening days, but police quickly…... [read more]
Vietnamese people in South Africa gathered at the Vietnamese Embassy on February 12 in Pretoria to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Vietnamese ambassador to South Africa Vu Van Dung speaks at the ceremony Speaking at the event, Vietnamese ambassador Vu Van Dung reviewed the key points in the socio-economic situation in both Vietnam and South Africa in the past year. He hailed the achievements made by Vietnamese people living and working in South Africa, called for unity to develop the friendship between people of the two countries. Celebrating Tet in South Africa on February 11 Dung also sent his best…... [read more]
