Minister Shabangu appointed as acting President

Monday, August 29, 2016

Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma has appointed Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Susan Shabangu, as acting President.

The President and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa are attending the 36th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State in Swaziland. 

The summit, which is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, will be held under the theme 'Resource Mobilisation for Investment in Sustainable Energy Infrastructure for an Inclusive SADC Industrialisation and for the Prosperity of the Region'.

The theme places focus on the need to improve both industrial and infrastructure development, enhancing integration and fostering intra-regional trade by addressing SADC’s sustainable development agenda, the Presidency said on Sunday.

The summit will examine the performance of SADC institutions and review the overall implementation of the regional body's socio-economic programmes.

On the political and security situation in the region, it is expected that the focus of discussions at the summit will be on constitutional, public and security sector reforms in Lesotho, national reconciliation, implementation of the SADC Roadmap in Madagascar and the national dialogue towards preparations for national elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The two-day summit is being preceded by the SADC Organ Troika Summit underway today.

Deputy President Ramaphosa will take part in the Organ Troika Summit in his capacity as the SADC-appointed facilitator working on the political and security situation in Lesotho.

South Africa is participating in the meeting in its capacity as the outgoing chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

South Africa will cease to be a member of the organ on 30 August 2016 when Mozambique will resume this position as outgoing chair.

Tanzania will assume the position of chair the organ from 2016 to 2017.

The Organ Troika is made up of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.  

President Zuma is accompanied by the Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane; Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Ngqakula; Trade and Industry Rob Davies and State Security David Mahlobo. – SAnews.gov.za