President Ramaphosa declares mourning period to honour the late former Deputy President David Mabuza
Deputy President Mabuza, 64, passed away on Thursday, 3 July 2025, following a short illness.
In terms of the State, Official and Provincial Official Funeral Policy Manual of The Presidency, the State Funeral Category 2 is reserved for the Deputy President of the Republic, an Acting President and Former Deputy Presidents.
The State Funeral Category 2 is conducted with prescribed military ceremonial honours.
The funeral of Former Deputy President Mabuza will take place in Mpumalanga. Closer details will be announced in the coming days.
While preparations unfold, President Ramaphosa has declared that Days of National Mourning be observed from tomorrow, Monday, 07 July 2025, until the evening of Saturday, 12 July.
During this period, the National Flag must be flown at half mast at all flag stations around the country.
President Ramaphosa reiterates his deep condolences to the Mabuza family.
The President wishes the family strength as they and the nation reflect on the life of a family member, activist, educator, intellectual and leader in government who contributed greatly to the attainment of freedom and development in our society.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sharjah 24
5 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Mohammed bin Rashid launches plan for achieving ‘UAE 2031 Vision'
This model further strengthens the country's global standing in terms of government efficiency and excellence, supports comprehensive and sustainable development across diverse sectors, and accelerates the achievement of targets to advance national visions and strategies. His Highness said: 'We have launched the new strategic planning cycle for the Federal Government for 2031. This plan prioritises artificial intelligence in government planning, process simplification, resource optimisation, and enhanced financial efficiency. 'While in the past government success was measured by regulatory strength and comprehensive procedures, today it hinges on regulatory agility, streamlined processes, and intelligent resource management, a significantly more complex undertaking. Tools and priorities change, but the unwavering commitment to serve the people of the UAE remains constant,' His Highness added. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed directed teams across ministries and federal government entities to begin developing government strategies based on more innovative and flexible foundations, incorporating artificial intelligence and future technology solutions to accelerate the achievement of goals outlined under the 'We the UAE 2031' Vision.' His Highness issued the directives while launching the new strategic planning cycle titled 'Towards Achieving We the UAE 2031 Vision' in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council; Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; and Huda Al Hashimi, Head of Strategy and Government Innovation for the UAE Government. The new strategic planning cycle marks a pivotal phase in developing strategic planning methodologies within the federal government, aligning plans for governmental work with the We the UAE 2031 Vision through a more intelligent, agile, and responsive approach to change. The new cycle involves 38 federal entities and brings together key public officials, including directors of strategy, future planning, and finance. It adopts the concept of proactive strategic planning as a core component, and is built on key principles including integrating strategic planning with artificial intelligence, simplifying procedures and optimising resource utilisation, activating national initiatives through federal entities' plans, and adopting smart planning to achieve financial efficiency. In this context, the Prime Minister's Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs organised a strategic workshop attended by directors of strategy from ministries and federal government entities. The aim was to introduce salient features of the new cycle, which has been shortened from five years to three years to seamlessly keep pace with rapid global changes and ensure the highest levels of flexibility and capability to accommodate regular plan updates – enhancing government readiness and proactiveness in facing challenges. The workshop discussed the strategic importance of the new planning model as a pioneering step toward building a smarter, more agile, and proactive planning cycle that reinforces the UAE's leadership as a global model for the government of the future. It also supports the ability of government entities to contribute to the realisation of the nation's future vision. The workshop reviewed the concept of strategic intelligence underpinning the new cycle and its importance as a core component of the government planning system. It highlighted its role in enabling more effective decision-making through the adoption of advanced analytics, accurate data, and future forecasting tools – allowing decision-makers to understand change and develop proactive plans with integrated performance indicators linked to future challenges and opportunities. The workshop also emphasised the enhancement of performance efficiency and accelerating execution through the updated planning cycle model, which calls for simplifying procedures and reducing administrative requirements, enabling entities to focus on implementing strategic projects rather than daily operational tasks. Participants explored the main features of the new cycle, including innovation, integration among entities, and future readiness, by promoting collective thinking and close cooperation between strategy and finance directors to ensure policy and project alignment with national vision objectives. The workshop also reviewed the efforts of federal entities to translate the objectives of the We the UAE 2031 Vision into actionable national initiatives and strategies that contribute to building a prosperous and sustainable future. It highlighted several major strategies launched in recent months, most notably the National Cybersecurity Strategy and the National Investment Strategy. Participants discussed the importance of adoption of new models based on proactive planning and big data analysis to enable entities to anticipate changes and respond to challenges with speed and efficiency. Huda Al Hashimi, Head of Strategy and Government Innovation for the UAE Government, outlined key efforts by federal entities to translate the goals of the We the UAE 2031 Vision into tangible national initiatives and strategies that contribute to building a prosperous and sustainable future. On the occasion, she also recalled various national strategies introduced during the previous planning cycle that had actively boosted future planning, bringing along significant national benefits.
The National
8 hours ago
- The National
Sheikh Mohammed reveals new AI strategy for streamlining services
, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has unveiled a new government strategy under which artificial intelligence will be used to manage resources. The new policy will enable the UAE to make government services easier and faster, said Sheikh Mohammed. "We're proud to launch the UAE Federal Government Strategic Plan 2031 – a new chapter in shaping a smarter, faster and more efficient government," said Sheikh Mohammed, as reported by Dubai Media Office. "This phase focuses on using AI to streamline processes and improve how we manage resources across the federal government. In the past, success was measured by the strength of regulations, the size of teams and the complexity of procedures. "Today, success means making things easier and faster – delivering seamless services and using resources wisely in a complex world," said Sheikh Mohammed, also Vice President. "Tools may change and goals may shift, but one thing stays the same: our commitment to excellence in serving the people of the UAE." Sheikh Mohammed has directed teams across ministries and strategies based on more innovative and flexible foundations, incorporating AI as part of the 'We the UAE 2031' vision, the media office said. The planning cycle will involve 38 federal groups and brings together key public officials, including directors of strategy, future planning and finance. Last month, Sheikh Mohammed announced a National Artificial Intelligence System would become an advisory member of the UAE Cabinet, starting in January next year. 'The world is going through comprehensive restructuring, scientifically, economically and socially and our goal is being ready today for the coming decades and ensuring continuing prosperity and a decent life for the following generations,' Sheikh Mohammed said at the time.
Khaleej Times
9 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Sheikh Mohammed announces federal government plan, using AI to cut down service time
UAE launched the Federal Government Strategic Plan 2031, which focuses on using AI to streamline processes and improve management of government resources. The plan will help create a "smarter, faster, and more efficient government," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. UAE often adopts the latest tech in different sectors to adapt to evolving industry standards. While success in the past was measured by factors such as the "complexity of procedures", it has now come to mean "making things easier and faster," the UAE Prime Minister added. AI helps seamless service delivery and serves as a tool to reach a wide section of consumers in the quickest ways, eliminating the need for lengthy, drawn-out procedures. Artificial intelligence is already well-integrated into the Emirates' government, with the tech being harnessed for the legal sector. The country is using AI to gain large-scale data to gauge laws' impact on citizens and residents, which will in turn help create more effective legislation. In a significant move, UAE announced last month that the National Artificial Intelligence System will be adopted as an advisory member of the Cabinet, the Ministerial Development Council, and all boards of directors of federal entities and government companies, starting in January 2026. UAE is also one of the first countries to teach AI in public schools from Kindergarten, ensuring that the next generation grows with a firm understanding of this tool, empowering them to use it wisely.
