Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

With the G20 Leaders’ Summit currently underway, law enforcement agencies are actively monitoring critical transport routes across the City of Johannesburg and surrounding areas and have announced the closure of the R28 northbound.

“This increased visibility is in response to heavy convoy movements heading towards the Nasrec precinct. Motorists are advised that rolling road closures are in place today to facilitate these movements, and residual congestion may still be present on affected routes,” the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) said on Saturday.

In a statement, the JMPD has warned motorists of a major multi-vehicle accident that has occurred on the R28 in Krugersdorp, in the vicinity of the N14 and Hendrick Potgieter intersection. 

“Due to the severity of this incident, the R28 Northbound is completely closed to traffic until further notice. Emergency services are on the scene. Motorists are urged to avoid the R28 Krugersdorp area immediately and seek alternative routes. Expect significant delays surrounding the accident scene,” it said.

It further urged road users to exercise extreme caution, maintain safe following distances, and remain patient, as traffic volumes are expected to remain high throughout the region. 

In an interview earlier, South African Police Service national spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said law enforcement is on high alert and ready to ensure the safe, smooth and secure running of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

READ | Law enforcement on high guard as dignitaries pour in for G20 Leaders’ Summit

The summit – a historic, first of its kind for the African continent – is being held at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, from today until Sunday. –SAnews.gov.za

South Africa’s agricultural sector has achieved a major diplomatic and trade milestone, following the finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a move expected to strengthen bilateral cooperation and unlock new opportunities for South African producers in one of Asia’s fastest-growing markets.

The agreement was signed by Deputy Minister Nokuzola Capa and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep, on Friday, ahead of the official opening on G20 Leaders’ Summit.

It lays the foundation for expanded collaboration in crop production, plant protection, animal husbandry, veterinary services, research and development, technology transfer, and agricultural trade.

The MoU’s finalisation comes just three weeks after Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen’s visit to Vietnam – which took place during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Visit. It also aligns with President Ramaphosa’s directive to all Ministers to move swiftly and decisively in expanding South Africa’s access to export markets.

Steenhuisen highlighted that at its heart, the partnership is built on trust and a shared ambition to strengthen sustainable agricultural systems that deliver economic growth and deepen the warm ties between our countries.

“This agreement strengthens our strategic presence in Asia and supports our mission to broaden market access for South African producers,” Steenhuisen said.

A win for South African producers

The Minister emphasised that the MoU is grounded in tangible progress, noting that they are building on real results.

“Our high-quality oranges have found a loyal and growing audience in Vietnam, where consumers recognise the value of South African produce,” he said.

Vietnam opened its market to South African oranges in May 2024 after the successful conclusion of a bilateral protocol.

In the 2024 season, South Africa exported 53 311 fifteen-kilogram cartons of oranges to Vietnam. In 2025, that figure rose sharply to 209 569 cartons, representing a fourfold increase.

“This growth is a powerful vote of confidence in our exports. It reinforces South Africa’s position as the world’s second-largest citrus exporter and highlights the strong appetite in Asia that our farmers are ready to serve,” the Minister said.

Following the success of oranges, the Minister said South Africa is now pushing for greater access for other citrus products, especially mandarins.

He said with Vietnam’s annual agricultural import market valued at more than 30 billion US dollars, and South Africa’s current exports of edible fruits and nuts valued at around 54 million dollars, the potential for expansion is immense.

“The MoU is designed to accelerate this growth by strengthening cooperation, fast-tracking market penetration and supporting South Africa’s ambition to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in new agricultural export revenue. Such gains will flow directly into rural communities through job creation, increased income, and more resilient local economies.”

South Africa already exports maize, apples, pears and grapes to Vietnam, and the expanded cooperation framework is expected to increase volumes across these categories.

The Minister said work is also underway to secure access for high-value niche products, such as game meat, which will further diversify South Africa’s export basket.

“Ultimately, strengthening ties with Vietnam supports South Africa’s broader objective of deepening access to the Southeast Asian region. As a stable and strategically positioned economy, Vietnam offers a valuable gateway for South African producers seeking to expand in Asia’s dynamic markets,” Steenhuisen said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

“The world is here, the African continent is here, [global] institutions are here. Multilateralism has been affirmed. The multi-polar world is in real action.”

These were the words of Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, following the announcement that the G20 Leaders’ Summit has adopted a declaration.

The Minister spoke to the media on the sidelines of the first day of the two-day Leaders’ Summit on Saturday. 

The historical summit – held on the African continent for the first time – is being held at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

“We see this as a platform that affirms multilateralism. Multilateralism has served the world very well since the second world war and this platform is affirming that,” Lamola said.

He noted that the venue chosen to host the summit is symbolic of South Africa’s aims to build a world of mutual cooperation.

“We are glad that we are talking about a number of issues to bridge between the Global South and the Global North. Is it not ironic that we have placed it here in Soweto…which used to be a black township [and] on my right is Joburg North which used to be an only white area. 

“We have brought everyone here to say that this is the bridge that the global north and south must breach so that all of us can work together for the best and for the benefit of humanity,” he noted.

On the declaration itself, particularly on digital transformation and artificial intelligence, the Minister said it is a pivotal step for Africa.

“On the African continent, very few content creators get any resources…TikTok, Apple and so forth. But this G20 speaks about how the African continent must not just be a consumer of artificial intelligence but it must be at the source of innovation, research, data centres and all those platforms.

“So, this is very key also for young people of this continent…this being a youthful continent. This G20 will revolutionarise how the African continent participates in the global economy.

“We are really glad as the South African government that finally… [the G20 Presidency] has culminated into a progressive declaration…that will revolutionarise how the global south participates and plays in the global economy,” Lamola remarked.

This as Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya earlier confirmed that the leaders of the G20 have reached a consensus for a G20 Leaders’ Summit declaration to be adopted.

READ | G20 Leaders’ Summit adopts declaration

“[The declaration] has been adopted by the leaders here at the summit. We were edging closer and closer to that unanimous adoption and now we have a summit declaration adopted,” said Magwenya.

In his opening address at the Summit earlier, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the first-ever G20 Leaders’ Summit on African soil must reflect the aspirations of both the continent and the wider global community.
READ | G20 must reflect aspirations of Africa and the world 

–SAnews.gov.za

Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya has confirmed that the leaders of the G20 have reached a consensus for a G20 Leaders’ Summit declaration to be adopted.

Magwenya was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit held at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Johannesburg.

“[The declaration] has been adopted by the leaders here at the summit. We were edging closer and closer to that unanimous adoption and now we have a summit declaration adopted.

“There was a slight change in the programme. Normally the adoption happens right at the end but throughout the day yesterday, during various bilateral talks, there was a sense that we should actually move to have the summit declaration adopted first as a first order of the day and then proceed with the rest of the day,” he said.

The spokesperson explained some of the elements within the declaration particularly as it relates to conflicts across the world.

“What the declaration does, it affirms the centrality of the UN Charter with respect to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and avoiding the use of force in resolving the issues of dispute.

“The declaration highlights, in particular, the four of the gravest conflicts in the world namely: the DRC, Sudan, Ukraine and Palestine.

Facing questions on the absence of the USA, Magwenya highlighted that government has communicated that it will not do the symbolic handover the G20 Presidency gavel to a “junior official”.

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the USA would send a Charge’ d’ Affaires – an embassy official – to recognise the handover.

“We have communicated that officially [and] we have communicated that publicly. It has never been done before and it’s not going to happen and start now with South Africa.

“The President will not handover to a junior embassy official. It’s a breach of protocol that is not going to be accommodated or allowed in this instance.

“It is a position of principle. America chose to boycott the summit. That is their choice and that’s their prerogative to do so. But what cannot happen is a breach of protocol being forced,” he said.

The spokesperson affirmed South Africa’s commitment to engaging with countries.

“We are a sovereign country. We will always engage with other countries in a respectful and considerate manner as we have always done particularly with the US considering all the challenges that we’ve faced in trying to reset that relationship.

“However, one must also give consideration that you have more than one country. It’s the G20, plus the [African Union], plus the [European Union] therefore we can’t just bend the rules for one country. We need to respect the countries who have been part of the process, who’ve worked tirelessly to make sure that this G20 is a success that it is now.

“We need to move forward,” Magwenya said. – SAnews.gov.za