Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the recently concluded 17th BRICS Summit as a resounding success, highlighting strengthened cooperation among member states and renewed commitment to building a more equitable global order.

President Ramaphosa made the remarks during a media briefing following the conclusion of the Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday.

The President commended Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for organising the “excellent” summit and expressed appreciation for the invitation extended to the other outreach countries to be part of the summit.

The President noted the growing interest around the world, particularly the Global South, towards BRICS.

“We admitted a new member; Indonesia, and we also admitted new BRICS partner countries. There is a lot of interest in the Global South about being part of BRICS, which shows that BRICS continues to grow its voice, its reach, and by importance as well. [It] has become [a] fairly sizeable BRICS community, which already accounts for more than half of the population of the world.

“We also appreciated the fact that through BRICS we continue by respect [and] recognition, to respect the sovereignty of countries and their equalities, and that is an important consideration, as it leads to us cooperating on a number of areas,” the President said.

Through the declaration, a number of areas, ranging from the governance of the world to issues like technical education, were covered.

WATCH | Presidents media briefing
On global governance, the President said BRICS continues to respect the existence and the standing of the United Nations (UN) and called for the reform of the UN structures.

The President argued that it is not acceptable that countries like India and Brazil, are excluded from participating meaningfully, and that the African continent which has 1.3 billion people is not represented in the UN Security Council.

The summit also looked at the issue of climate change, calling for commitments to assist countries most affected by it, to be fulfilled.

“They should be assisted and supported through their transition to renewable energies and that countries that have made commitments particularly [in] the Global North, should live up to their commitments, with regards to ensuring that we address climate challenges that we are facing in the world,” President Ramaphosa said.

Call for a permanent ceasefire

On security matters, BRICS condemned the attack on countries like Iran and reiterated a call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The displacement and killings of people in Sudan was also a matter of concern for the summit which called for conflict on the African continent to be resolved through what the President called “African solutions”.

The President reiterated that BRICS is a community of countries that want to see progress in the world.

“BRICS Rio de Janeiro was very successful. We leave with very fulfilled hearts because it has added to many issues that we lead to the development of our world.

“There was also great appreciation and support for South Africas coming G20 and recognising the importance of the G20 that encompasses so many countries in the world. We were wished great success, and we were greatly supported,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Gauteng municipal ward councillors have welcomed the Gauteng Turnaround Strategy to improve service delivery in Gauteng municipalities.

Ward councillors from all 11 municipalities in the Gauteng City Region have expressed strong support for the Gauteng Turnaround Strategy, committing to enhanced collaboration across the three spheres of government. This united approach aims to improve service delivery and uplift the lives of residents across the province.

The Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) successfully hosted a Ward Councillor Imbizo on Tuesday, 10 December 2024.

This critical platform addressed pressing service delivery challenges, including water and energy security, while exploring strategies to combat crime and prepare for the 2026 local government elections.

Acting Premier, Lebogang Maile said the Imbizo held following the Local Government Summit held earlier this year acknowledged the underlying factors that are impacting negatively on municipalities such as, institutional stability, financial viability and sustainable local development and spatial restricting and climate change.

He acknowledged that there are underlying factors that impact service delivery such as municipal governance and stability and made a commitment to support municipalities as mandated by the constitution.

"National and local government will support municipalities in terms of section 154 of the constitution aimed at strengthening the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs," said Maile.

Key updates were also provided on strategic programmes aligned with Section 154 of the Constitution. These include the outcomes of the Local Government Turnaround Summit, efforts to strengthen food safety and by-law enforcement, and strategies for managing water security and energy demands.

The discussions also focused on the Emergency Energy Response Plan, which aims to enhance energy stability in the province, and preparations for the upcoming local government elections.

MEC for Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, stressed the importance of collaboration in addressing challenges. He remarked, "this interaction provides a critical platform for integrated planning and empowers councillors to execute their constitutional mandate effectively. The challenges facing our municipalities require a united approach, leveraging on each other's strengths to deliver better outcomes for our people."

During the Imbizo, councillors were briefed on election-related matters, including the formula for determining the number of councillors as stipulated in Section 20 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (as amended), as well as updates on ward delimitation and the Municipal Capacity Assessments for district and local municipalities.

The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, will address the opening of a training centre in Pretoria on Wednesday, 16 July dedicated to advanced molecular science and laboratory management in South Africa.
The Centre for Advanced Training and Innovative Research (CATIR) is set to further enhance essential scientific skills in the country, supporting future pandemic preparedness and local health system resilience.
CATIR is established through a partnership between Thermo Fisher Scientific, the South African Medical Research Council, and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI).
It will play an important role in strengthening the country’s local scientific capabilities and pandemic preparedness, by bridging the gap between academic theory and applied science, offering world-class training in molecular science and laboratory management.
Speaking at the event will include the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi representatives from Thermo Fisher, and the SAMRC.

Date: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Time: 11h00 – 12h30, including lab tour.
Venue: SAMRC Pretoria Offices,1 Soutpansberg Road, Pretoria

For further enquiries or to attend please contact veronica mohapeloa at 0834005750