Ramaphosa calls for diplomatic resolution
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Israel-Iran conflict should be resolved through dialogue.
He's concerned about the uncertainty around an increase in global fuel prices.
"We want to continue calling on all actors that dialogue, peace-making is the only way in which to solve problems," Ramaphosa said.
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The South African
6 hours ago
- The South African
Cyril Ramaphosa calls for Israel and Iran to talk, not attack
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for dialogue between Israel and Iran, warning that continued conflict will only lead to further devastation and economic fallout across the globe. Speaking to members of the media on the sidelines of the 30-year anniversary celebration of the Constitutional Court on Friday, Ramaphosa expressed grave concern over the escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly following reports that the United States may join Israel in potential military action against Iran. The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump would decide on 'whether or not to go' with US involvement in the conflict in the next two weeks. Having just returned from the G7 summit in Canada, President Ramaphosa cautioned that the world was entering a dangerous period of heightened geopolitical instability. 'The world has become a very dangerous place now, with all these conflicts that are flaring up into the destruction of infrastructure and loss of life. 'We want to continue calling on all actors that dialogue peace-making is the only way in which to solve problems, the disputes that arise in various parts of the country, including the dispute between Israel and Iran now should be solved through dialogue, and we say that it must happen immediately, without resorting to further air strikes to further bombs,' President Ramaphosa said. Ramaphosa emphasised that continued violence was claiming lives and causing ripple effects across the globe, including here at home. 'Lives are being lost, and it is actually having a devastating blow on the economies of the world because there is now uncertainty and prices are beginning to rise. We are already suffering from price rises in our fuel… We want the conflict to come to an end,' he said. Ramaphosa reiterated South Africa's longstanding foreign policy principle of peaceful resolution through diplomacy, warning that prolonged armed conflict would only deepen global instability. According to reports, Iran and Israel traded strikes overnight, with no signs of de-escalation in their weeklong conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military's objective was to strike all of Iran's nuclear facilities. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
7 hours ago
- IOL News
Julius Malema: EFF will not stand by as R700 million is looted under the guise of a National Dialogue
By Julius Malema The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) categorically rejects the grotesque and wasteful plan by the so-called National Dialogue Preparatory Task Team to spend R700 million on what they are calling a 'National Dialogue' because we know that it has no bearing on the lives of ordinary South Africans. In a country ravaged by poverty, joblessness, and a collapsing public infrastructure that continues to fall prey to climate change, it is not only irresponsible but deeply immoral to even contemplate such an exorbitant budget for a talk shop for elites. The timing of this announcement is also indicative of an uncaring government that is out of touch with the majority of the citizens of this country. The proposed dialogue with an inordinate price tag is said to involve only two national conventions and an unspecified number of public engagements. The entire project reeks of cronyism and self-enrichment that is deceptively packaged in the language of nation-building in an attempt to fool the public. But the EFF recognises this for the farce that it is. Dialogues do not cost R700 million. What we are currently witnessing is the return of the very same gravy train that stripped this country and its people of its dignity and robbed deserving South Africans of an opportunity to progress out of poverty. The difference is that now it is dressed up in what is being sold as a democratic consultation. Not on our watch! This absurd plan is being tabled at a time when our country is buckling under the weight of an unforgiving cost-of-living crisis. We have just emerged from a battle with Treasury over its callous and illegal attempt to increase VAT by a staggering 2% when the national budget was initially presented. It was a move that would have hit the poor and working class the hardest but failed because the EFF fought for the people and justice prevailed. However, on the horizon looms a fuel levy increase, which will undoubtedly lead to an increase in the price of food, transport, and essential goods. This again will hit the poor and marginalised people of this country the hardest solely because we are led by a government that has made it its mission to cushion the elite whilst exploiting the poor. Yet in these trying times the same government wants to allocate almost a billion rands for a dialogue. A dialogue with no defined outcomes, no constitutional mandate, and no meaningful connection to the urgent crises our people face. This is the epitome of tone-deaf. It is a slap in the face to millions of South Africans who go to bed hungry, study in dilapidated schools, queue at under-resourced clinics, and live in constant fear of crime in communities where police are severely understaffed. The government of Ramaphosa and his GNU can fund a dialogue but cannot implement solutions that will improve the lives of our people. The EFF supports genuine efforts at public engagement and democratic consultation, but we vehemently reject with contempt the idea that close to a billion is required in order for a dialogue to be classified as credible and meaningful. The government is clearly not serious about public involvement because if it were, it would invest that money into capacitating local clinics and building schools, so our kids are given quality decolonised education at all levels irrespective of their backgrounds. A caring government would focus on rebuilding our ailing infrastructure and resuscitating closed factories and industries as suggested by the EFF because that would lead to a working economy that can absorb young people who are currently jobless. Only an ANC government that is aloof with its DA partners can think democracy can be reduced to conferences in Sandton that will entail inflated invoices and no consequences. The EFF does not share those sentiments because we know that our people face more pressing needs. Our people need jobs, and they need them now. Our people need quality healthcare and safety in their communities. Our people need bold action and a country that prioritises the redistribution of wealth and land without compensation. They need action on load shedding and infrastructure collapse, not panel discussions on theoretical unity. This R700 million dialogue proposal is nothing but a vanity project of this failing government. It is looting of public funds. It is a national parade of misaligned government programs. Inflating prices for a dialogue whilst failing to employ doctors or pay educators. It is further enrichment for the elite and their networks who will benefit through tenders and consultancy fees. The near billion-rand price tag is an insult to struggling South Africans and our unemployed youth. The EFF demands full public disclosure of the dialogue budget, line by line. We will not allow this to happen behind closed doors while our people starve. Furthermore, the EFF is exploring legal options to challenge this wasteful expenditure and to prevent it from proceeding. We are also calling on civil society, labour unions, and all patriotic South Africans to reject this abuse of public funds. The EFF will continue to fight for economic justice, for an end to wasteful expenditure, and for a government that places the interests of the poor and marginalised at the centre of its agenda. This country does not need a dialogue as we all already know what our problems are. We need implementation. We need jobs, land, housing, education, healthcare, and safety. We need a government that works for the people, not one that hosts conferences to congratulate itself while the country burns. Julius Malema is the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.
The South African
7 hours ago
- The South African
Putin unveils Iran-Israel peace plan at global forum
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a press conference with international media on 19 June 2025, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Nearly 20 000 people from 140 countries attended the event. Vladimir Putin used the forum to talk about Russia's foreign policy, economic strategy, and global security issues. Putin pushed for mutual recognition of Israel's security and Iran's peaceful nuclear rights to resolve the Iran-Israel conflict diplomatically. He claimed that while Moscow is willing to facilitate dialogue, it will not set the terms. Russia sent recommendations to Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran, the Kremlin confirmed. Putin said Iran has not asked for military support. Putin emphasised Russia's economic partnership with Belarus while pointing to $50 billion in trade and joint ventures in aviation and microelectronics. In addition, he credited Belarusian President Lukashenko for keeping the vital industry intact despite Western sanctions. The SPIEF 2025 theme, 'Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World', underscored Russia's shift towards non-Western relationships. Russian President Vladimir Putin also met with South Africa's Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, and Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto. Furthermore, Putin called the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO's) claims of a Russian threat 'nonsense,' pointing to the alliance's high military spending. Russia insists Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia are part of the Russian Federation, a position Putin has maintained since 2022. To sum up, he questioned President Zelenskyy's legitimacy while expressing a conditional willingness to negotiate peace with Ukraine. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
