Cape Town – Deputy President Paul Mashatile has been sworn in by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as the country’s acting president.
This comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa is away in Burundi to participate in the 11th High Level Segment of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes Region.
“Deputy President Paulus Shipokosa Mashatile has been sworn-in by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as the Acting President of the Republic of South Africa,” the Presidency tweeted on Saturday morning.
Deputy President Shipokosa @PMashatile has been sworn-in by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as the Acting President of the Republic of South Africa. pic.twitter.com/WoYxhci80J
— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) May 6, 2023
Meanwhile, the Presidency announced earlier that Ramaphosa has arrived in the capital Bujumbura where the Summit for Heads of State and Government is taking place on Saturday.
“The PSC Framework, otherwise known as the Addis Ababa Agreement, was signed on 24 February 2013 through a AU/UN-brokered Framework aimed at stabilising the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“At the time, signatories to the agreement included Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In early 2014, Kenya and Sudan became the 12th and 13th signatories of the Framework,” the presidency said in a statement.
[PHOTOS]: His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa arriving at Melchoir Ndadaye International Airport in Bujumbura, Burundi for the 11th High Level Segment of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic… pic.twitter.com/EsyhOb55MM
— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) May 6, 2023
The PSC Framework’s key mandate is to end recurring cycles of devastating conflict in eastern DRC which impact on stability and development in the Great Lakes region.
The framework also aims at addressing the root causes of conflict in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes Region.
The summit takes place against the backdrop of the deteriorating political and security situation in the Eastern DRC caused by a resurgence of the M23 Movement that has led to tensions between the DRC and Rwanda.
The summit will deliberate on the deployment of East African Community (EAC) troops and their role in dealing with negative forces in the eastern DRC, especially the M23.
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Picture: Twitter/PresidencyZA
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
