Also known as: president Cyril Ramaphosa · President Ramaphosa · South African president Cyril Ramaphosa · current President Cyril Ramaphosa · CR17 · weak-kneed South African president Cyril Ramaphosa · deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa · acting president Cyril Ramaphosa · Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa · Ramphosa · SADC Chairperson and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
President of South Africa; facing coalition government pressures, responding to US diplomatic tensions, and addressing gender-based violence crisis.
News reports
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Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
The Namibian
Ramaphosa said the US's 'absence is their loss' and boycott would not prevent the meeting
“Speaking outside parliament, Ramaphosa said the US's "absence is their loss" and that the boycott would not prevent the meeting from going ahead, according to the AFP news agency.”
‘It's their loss': South African leader hits back at Trump's decision to skip G20 summitThe Namibian
President Cyril Ramaphosa's office confirmed receiving distress calls from the trapped men
“President Cyril Ramaphosa's office has confirmed receiving "distress calls" from the trapped men, saying they were "lured to join mercenary forces under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts."”
Zuma’s MK party accused of sending South Africans to fight in UkraineThe Namibian
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the city centre is filthy with abandoned and hijacked buildings.
“"I found the city filthy," he said. "It is a painful sight to go through the centre of the city… you have a number of abandoned buildings, buildings that have been hijacked, that are not paying your rates and taxes."”
Ahead of the G20, is Johannesburg's city centre in ruins?The Namibian
Cyril Ramaphosa assumed interim chairmanship of SADC
“South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has assumed the interim chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after Madagascar stepped down from the position amid political turmoil.”
Ramaphosa assumes SADC chairmanship as bloc congratulates Tanzania’s Samia HassanThe Namibian
President Cyril Ramaphosa said 17 South African men were lured to join mercenary forces under pretext of lucrative employment
“President Cyril Ramaphosa said the South African men aged between 20 and 39 were lured to join mercenary forces "under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts" and had issued distress calls after becoming trapped in the Donbas area of Ukraine.”
Over 1 400 Africans recruited to fight for Russia in war – Ukrainian ministerThe Namibian
President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced new law in January seeking to address land ownership disparities
“Tensions first arose between the US and SA after president Cyril Ramaphosa introduced a new law in January seeking to address land ownership disparities, which have left three-quarters of privately owned land in the hands of the white minority more than three decades after the end of apartheid.”
Trump says US to boycott SA G20 summit over white ‘genocide’The Namibian
President Cyril Ramaphosa was confronted by Trump and claimed white farmers in his nation were being killed and persecuted
“In the Oval Office in May, Trump confronted South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and claimed white farmers in his nation were being killed and "persecuted".”
Trump caps refugee admissions at record low – with most to be white South AfricansThe Namibian
President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Alistair Ruiters as investment adviser since April
“Ruiters (61), President Cyril Ramaphosa's investment adviser since April and a former director-general of trade and industry, seems to be enjoying widening support across different sectors of South Africa to get the toughest job in South African diplomacy — that of "normalising" SA relations with the cantankerous Trump administration.”
‘Our greatest asset’ — Alistair Ruiters is hot favourite to be SA’s next ambassador to USThe Namibian
President Cyril Ramaphosa loosened party funding laws, doubling declaration threshold
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has loosened party funding laws, lessening transparency by doubling the declaration threshold from R100,000 to R200,000.”
ANC’s R1bn in public funds at risk as insolvency beckonsThe Namibian
President Cyril Ramaphosa told the United Nations General Assembly trade is now being used as a weapon against countries
“President Cyril Ramaphosa told the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Tuesday, 23 September, that "trade is now being used as a weapon against a number of countries," in an ostensible rebuke of US President Donald Trump's tariffs.”
‘Trade now being used as a weapon,’ Ramaphosa tells UN in jab at Trump tariffsAs local elections approach, President Ramaphosa's coalition government with the DA faces pressure from ANC weakness and Johannesburg's crisis, with the SACP having opposed the deal during 2024 coalition negotiations.
20 October 2026 · The Namibian →
As local elections approach, President Ramaphosa's coalition government with the DA faces pressure from ANC weakness and Johannesburg's crisis, with the SACP having opposed the deal during 2024 coalition negotiations.
20 October 2026 · The Namibian →
South Africa has issued a third formal diplomatic protest against US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III in nine months over what it characterises as undiplomatic conduct and interference in domestic affairs. The latest row follows Bozell's public statements that Washington has ended dialogue with Pretoria, and South African officials have warned the country to prepare for worsening relations amid what they call US pressure to surrender sovereignty.
19 October 2026 · The Namibian →
President Cyril Ramaphosa officially opened Vedanta Zinc International's Gamsberg Phase II expansion in the Northern Cape, which will double the mine's zinc-in-concentrate capacity to approximately 500,000 tonnes annually and create 800 to 1,000 jobs during operations.
19 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
OvaHerero and Nama descendants in South Africa have petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa and the German Embassy, seeking inclusion in negotiations over the 1904–1908 genocide and discussions of reparations and historical redress, arguing the genocide's effects extend beyond Namibia's borders.
6 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority has petitioned the South African government for political, diplomatic and moral support in pursuing justice and reparations for the Nama and Ovaherero Genocide of 1904–08, citing ongoing land dispossession, displacement, economic marginalisation and intergenerational trauma among descendants.
6 October 2026 · Informanté →
OvaHerero descendants in South Africa have petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa to support their calls for justice and reparations over genocides committed by Imperial Germany between 1904 and 1908, citing ongoing land dispossession, forced displacement, economic marginalisation, and cultural disruption.
3 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, 43, and his wife Lucy Muteke were among six people killed when a helicopter crashed in the Marondera rural area east of Harare on Wednesday evening. The cause of the crash was not immediately known and investigations were under way.
2 October 2026 · The Namibian →
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa announced new measures to combat gender-based violence on Tuesday, following the murders of at least 11 women in Ekurhuleni since mid-July. The measures include a crackdown on alcohol abuse, a women's safety audit to be completed within 60 days, and a review of unresolved gender-based violence cases within 90 days.
1 October 2026 · The Namibian →
South Africa's cabinet has condemned a series of murders in Ekurhuleni that has brought the number of women killed in Gauteng to 13. Four suspects have been arrested in connection with three of the murders and remain in custody; investigators are pursuing several other people of interest.
30 September 2026 · The Namibian →
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver a national address on Tuesday evening on the government's response to gender-based violence and femicide, and provide updates on investigations into the murders of women in and around Ekurhuleni, where 11 women's bodies have reportedly been discovered since July.
29 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani highlighted a gap between political commitment to water projects and the financing needed to realize them, noting Namibia's championing of the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme, which aims to mobilize at least US$30 billion a year by 2030 for water security and sustainable sanitation.
23 September 2026 · Informanté →
Eastern Cape ANC secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi is threatening to sue Fikile Mbalula, the party's secretary-general, for defamation over claims that Ngcukayitobi was responsible for the ANC's failure to submit candidate lists on time. Ngcukayitobi's lawyers have demanded Mbalula retract the allegations by 12 midday on Tuesday, 22 September.
18 September 2026 · The Namibian →
President Cyril Ramaphosa is preparing a response to demands delivered by US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III on behalf of Donald Trump, covering farmer protection, the "Kill the Boer" chant, expropriation without compensation, BBBEE investment requirements, and South Africa's non-aligned status. Ramaphosa's spokesperson said the reply would be "timely," with Pretoria believing progress has been made on the issues.
11 September 2026 · The Namibian →
An editorial argues that Memoranda of Understanding do not constitute binding agreements and typically bypass parliamentary scrutiny, and that Namibia should focus on measurable economic outcomes rather than ceremonial "signing" events with other countries.
30 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibian reviews the ANC's local government election manifesto, noting that while the party acknowledges municipal failures including unreliable services, deteriorating infrastructure, and corruption, the manifesto's feasibility remains questionable. The ANC promises infrastructure repairs, water management improvements, and sets targets including reducing non-revenue water below 30% in metropolitan municipalities.
27 August 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced the completion of a 12-year process to bring liberation struggle heroes home, with the remains of six reinterred at Heroes' Acre on Monday and symbolic graves established for two others whose remains remain missing.
25 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
An opinion piece argues that Namibia's constitutional framework treats opposition parties as inferior and enables majority rule to suppress truth and facts in parliamentary and cabinet decisions, calling for amendment of Articles 32 and 35 to establish a consensus-based system of governance.
25 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The remains of liberation struggle veterans were officially reburied at Heroes' Acre following exhumations across Namibia and repatriations from South Africa. President Nandi-Ndaitwah described the ceremony as an act of national remembrance and restorative justice, correcting historical wrongs and honouring those who sacrificed in the struggle.
24 August 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia has received the remains of 86 Namibians from South Africa, comprising 84 ancestral human remains and the mortal remains of liberation heroes Festus Nehale and Simon Petrus Niilenge. The repatriation, following a solemn ceremony in Cape Town, has been described by the government as a historic act of restoration, dignity and national healing.
24 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
At the 46th SADC summit in Durban, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and other regional leaders adopted commitments on industrialisation, infrastructure development, agricultural transformation, critical minerals, and regional trade. The summit theme centred infrastructure, agriculture and critical minerals as priorities for building a competitive, climate-resilient and inclusive SADC region.
19 August 2026 · Informanté →
Southern African Development Community leaders gathered for their 46th Ordinary Summit in eThekwini have prioritised migration management, peace, security, job creation, industrialisation and deeper economic integration. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who assumed the SADC chairship, called for faster implementation of regional development plans, noting that intra-SADC trade accounts for only about one-fifth of the region's total trade and that SADC must process and beneficiate more of its own raw materials rather than exporting them.
17 August 2026 · Informanté →
SADC secretary Elias Magosi has called on the region to stop exporting raw minerals and instead focus on beneficiation, value addition, manufacturing and industrialisation to create jobs and wealth, noting that SADC is rich in critical minerals including lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese, copper, rare earth elements and platinum group metals.
17 August 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has departed for Durban, South Africa, to attend the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, where regional leaders will deliberate on priorities for sustainable and inclusive development under the theme of resilient industrialisation through infrastructure, agriculture and critical minerals transformation.
16 August 2026 · Informanté →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has departed for Durban to attend the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government on 17 August, hosted by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa. The summit will bring together regional leaders to deliberate on regional priorities and strengthen collective efforts towards sustainable and inclusive development.
16 August 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will attend the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government in Durban on 17 August 2026, where regional leaders will deliberate on industrialisation, trade, infrastructure, peace and security, and witness the handover of SADC chairpersonship from Emmerson Mnangagwa to Cyril Ramaphosa.
14 August 2026 · Informanté →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will attend the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Durban, South Africa, on 17 August, hosted by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa. The summit will address regional industrialisation, value chains, intra-regional trade, infrastructure connectivity, and peace and security.
14 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The Democratic Alliance, a member of South Africa's Government of National Unity coalition, has joined AfriForum and the Institute of Race Relations in challenging the Expropriation Act, which would permit the government to expropriate land without compensation in certain circumstances. The high court in Cape Town is hearing arguments over five days on the Act's validity and constitutionality, with the Presidency, Parliament, and the Economic Freedom Fighters presenting counter-arguments.
6 August 2026 · The Namibian →
A 47-year-old Nigerian businessman left his South African wife, twin children, and established car-dealership business in Johannesburg and took a voluntary repatriation flight to Nigeria in June, citing harassment and safety fears as anti-migrant protests intensified in South Africa this year.
4 August 2026 · The Namibian →
An opinion piece argues that South Africa's criminal justice system is fundamentally broken and requires a revolution rather than incremental reforms, citing recent leadership failures at the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption and the National Prosecuting Authority.
3 August 2026 · The Namibian →
South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is wielding considerable power as the second-most influential figure in government after President Cyril Ramaphosa, as demonstrated by his decisions at the Public Investment Corporation and actions affecting municipalities. The article notes that a finance minister typically holds more actual authority than other senior officials due to their control over the national budget, and Godongwana has been able to exercise this power with clear presidential backing.
30 July 2026 · The Namibian →