Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow brief members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on some of his key responsibilities as assigned to him by President Jacob Zuma.

The Presidency on Tuesday said the briefing will take place against the background of oral replies to members of the NCOP, which covers a wide range of issues of national importance, including work around the efforts to combat the HIV and Aids epidemic, the Human Resource Development Strategy, as well as elaborating on reasons South Africa is set to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Deputy President is also the leader of Government Business in Parliament. He chairs the South African National Aids Council (SANAC), which is charged with the responsibility of leading the fight against HIV and Aids.

Through SANAC, which includes government departments and other civil society stakeholders, the Presidency said a greater impact has been made on reducing mother to child transmission.

“South Africa today provides 3.4 million HIV positive people with antiretroviral treatment. South Africa has launched the largest TB screening campaign to detect and combat TB infections,” said the Presidency.

The Deputy President will update members of the NCOP on the country’s efforts to develop an effective vaccine to prevent HIV infection.

He also leads South Africa’s Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), which is tasked with developing the country’s human resource development strategy.

Deputy President Ramaphosa this year visited Vietnam and Singapore to identify opportunities for South African students to study abroad in a variety of skills disciplines.

“Accordingly, the Deputy President will brief the NCOP on the HRDCs five-point plan and recommendations of the council’s technical task teams aimed at unlocking logjams in expanding South Africa’s skills base,” the Presidency said.

The Deputy President will also reflect on the work between government, labour and business in efforts to continue to attract foreign direct investment to assist in growing the economy while pushing back the frontiers of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

Deputy President Ramaphosa led a South African team to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Rwanda in May, to assure global and regional investors that South Africa remains an attractive destination for investment and to underline that South Africa’s institutions of democracy remain resilient.

On international relations, the Presidency said the Deputy President is expected to expand on reasons for South Africa’s withdrawal from the ICC.

“South Africa outlined that the Rome Statute establishing the ICC is incompatible with the country’s domestic laws regarding immunity for visiting foreign Heads of State and government that may be subject to investigations by the ICC.

“It is the view of government that its continued membership of the ICC compromises South Africa’s efforts to assist in the creation of peace and security in the continent.”

Deputy President Ramaphosa is also expected to reflect on the viability of having two separate education SETAS for Local Government and the Public Service.

Source: South African Government News Agency