Minister: International Relations and Cooperation

To the Republic we shall remain loyal.

Yesterday, we received the sad news of the passing of one of our finest lawyers and diplomats, Nicholas Haysom – a patriot who dedicated his life to the birth of a united, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. We mourn him not only as a great patriot, but also as an internationalist who served the cause of peace and justice with distinction across our continent and the world. I had the distinct honour of working with him in South Sudan. His commitment to democracy and Africa’s quest to silence the guns was never in doubt. He leaves an indelible mark on multilateral institutions at a time when they are under unprecedented strain.

Yesterday I hosted President Salva Kiir’s Special Envoy : Minister of Presidential Affairs of South Sudan Africano Mande. We working on various confidence building measures, building on from the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee for South Sudan Summit in Addis Ababa as chaired by President Ramaphosa earlier this year.

@DIRCO_ZA Minister, Mr Ronald Lamola bilateral meeting the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Malawi Dr. George T. Chaponda. SA and Malawi maintain strong and cordial bilateral relations. #SAMalawiRelations🇿🇦🇲🇼 #SADCSouthAfrica #BetterAfricaBetterWorld

@DIRCO_ZAMinister , Ronald Lamola, trilateral meeting with the Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Angola, H.E. Ambassador António Téte, and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, H.E. Ms Noëlla Ayeganagato Nakwipone. 🇿🇦🇦🇴🇨🇩

@DIRCO_ZA Minister, Mr Ronald Lamola, held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Malawi, Dr George T. Chaponda. The purpose of the meeting was to engage in a constructive exchange on matters of mutual interest. #SAMalawi🇿🇦🇲🇼

WATCH - SADC Council of Ministers Meeting Media Briefing youtube.com/live/tnU74xjv1… #SADCSouthAfrica #BetterAfricaBetterWorld #SADCCom 🌍🤝

Watch @DIRCO_ZA Deputy Minister Thandi Moraka meets with her Tanzanian counterpart, Dr Ngwaru Maghembe the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation on the margins of the SADC Council of Ministers Meeting in Pretoria, 13 March 2026. #SATanzaniaRelations🇿🇦🇹🇿

South Africa, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed a Memorandum of Understanding to renew the Tripartite Mechanism. This step reaffirms the longstanding and meaningful history of cooperation among the three countries. 13/03/2026 🇿🇦🇦🇴🇨🇩 #SADCSouthAfrica #SADCCom

DEVELOPING | DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor says US ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell, has expressed regret and apologised for his recent remarks, including the one that seemed to undermine the judiciary.

[BUSINESS FORUM]: His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa addresses the South Africa - Brazil Business Forum at the Palácio Itamaraty in Brasilia on occasion of the state visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil. South Africa’s business delegation in attendance ranges the agribusiness, aerospace, chemicals, defence, energy, engineering, mining, maritime and pharmaceuticals sectors. Bilateral trade between South Africa and Brazil reached R32.5 billion in 2025, with South African exports amounting to R5.2 billion and imports from Brazil totalling approximately R27.3 billion. In advancing South-South cooperation and investment partnerships between the countries, a memorandum of understanding on Trade and Investment Promotion was signed. South Africa’s top exports to Brazil are chemicals, mineral products, machinery, iron and steel, and vehicles. Brazilian exports to South Africa include mineral products, live animals, machinery, vegetables, and iron and steel products. #SAinBrazil 🇿🇦🇧🇷 #BetterAfricaBetterWorld 🌍

The courtesy visit to the one of the three arms of the state, located in the same precinct of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Brasília, is a symbolic gesture reserved for Heads of State and Government invited on a State Visit.

🇿🇦His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa pays courtesy visit to the President of the Supreme Federal Court of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Chief Justice Edson Fachin, at the Supreme Federal Court.      #SAinBrazil 🇿🇦🇧🇷 #BetterAfricaBetterWorld 🌍

The President will deliver a tribute.

🇿🇦His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa will join members of the Jackson family, the PUSH Rainbow Coalition, the broader US Civil rights movement and other American and international dignitaries this morning in paying tribute to the late Rev. Dr Jesse Louis Jackson.  The funeral service is scheduled to start at 10:00 CST.

South Africa expresses deep concern over the escalating crisis in the Gulf

Last night, Minister @RonaldLamola reiterated South Africa's gratitude for the critical role @RevJJackson played in the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Minister also paid a courtesy call on @ChicagosMayor, Brandon Johnson. #RSAinUSA

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA CALLS FOR DIALOGUE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND CONDENMS INTERNATIONAL LAW VIOLATIONS President @CyrilRamaphosa and the Government of the Republic of South Africa expresses deep concern regarding the escalation of tensions in the Middle East. These developments pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security, with far-reaching humanitarian, diplomatic and economic consequences. President Ramaphosa calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to act in a manner consistent with international iaw, international humanitarian law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. Article 51 of the UN Charter provides for self-defence only when a state has been subjected to an armed invasion. Anticipatory self-defence is not permitted under international law and self-defence cannot be based on assumption or anticipation. Experience has repeatedly demonstrated that there can be no military solution to fundamentally political problems that can and should be resolved diplomatically. Military confrontation has never delivered sustainable peace, nor has it addressed the legitimate grievances that underlie conflict. Long-term peace and stability can only be achieved through inclusive dialogue and a genuine commitment to justice and coexistence. President Ramaphosa therefore, reiterates his call for intensified diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and create space for continued meaningful negotiations. "We urge the international community, including multilateral institutions and regional partners, to redouble efforts aimed at promoting mediation and peaceful resolution. As a nation that has emerged from conflict through dialogue and reconciliation, South Africa remains steadfast in its belief that peace is not only possible, but imperative for the shared future of the Middle East and the world", said President Ramaphosa. ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

At this historic juncture of the 25th Anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action , we pay tribute to current and historical victims of racism and racial discrimination. In view of the persistence of this scourge, it remains of pivotal that we assess progress in our collective efforts to combat it and rededicate ourselves to ensuring the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.   The @_AfricanUnion theme for the decade, namely: “Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations” remains our strategic rallying point for the realisation of reparatory justice and in this regard, we commend the African Union leadership for extending it from a year theme to a decade.   The Second International Decade for People of African Descent, under the theme "People of African Descent: Consideration, Justice and Development," to galvanise global support to ensure realisation of reparatory justice.   We are determined to unite in action to repair the gross human damage that was caused by colonialism, slavery, slave trade and the transatlantic slave trade, whose effects remain,  and whose pain and anger are still felt.

Minister Lamola’s intervention at the annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming under the theme: Role of new and emerging digital technologies in preventing and eliminating female genital mutilation. @RonaldLamola