President Cyril Ramaphosa

Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa was born on 17 November 1952 in Johannesburg. His family was moved from Western Native Township to Soweto in 1962, where he attended Tshilidzi Primary School. He completed high school at Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda in 1971.

He registered to study law at the University of the North in 1972, where he became involved in student politics, joining the South African Student Organisation (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC). He was detained in solitary confinement for 11 months in 1974 under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act for organising pro-Frelimo rallies. He was detained for the second time and held for six months in 1976 following the Soweto student uprising.

While a law clerk for a Johannesburg firm of attorneys, he continued his studies through the University of South Africa (UNISA) obtaining his B. Proc degree in 1981. He then joined the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) as a legal advisor.

In 1982, at the request of the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) he founded the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) with James Motlatsi and Elijah Barayi, and became the union’s first General Secretary. He was instrumental in building NUM into the most powerful union at the time, with membership rising from 6 000 to 300 000 during his tenure. He led mineworkers in one of the biggest strikes in South Africa’s history in 1987.

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa signs law to bring back spy academy

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill, introducing major reforms to South Africa’s intelligence services.  Vincent Magwenya, the Presidency...
Ramaphosa addresses Denosa

Ramaphosa concerned about declining nursing numbers

President Cyril Ramaphosa raised concerns about declining training numbers of nurses due in part to accreditation delays. Ramaphosa said this despite a recent uptick in...
Budget doesn’t back up Sona SMMEs pledges 

Budget doesn’t back up Sona SMMEs pledges 

Phosane Mngqibisa  The 2025 State of the Nation Address (Sona) by President Cyril Ramaphosa, alongside Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana’s Budget Speech, ideally should reflect...

Sisulu Foundation blasts Ramaphosa’s handling of Rasool’s expulsion 

The Sisulu Foundation for Social Justice has come out swinging at President Cyril Ramaphosa for how he handled the expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool from...
Dangor off to the US to lift spirits of SA embassy staff 

Dangor off to the US to lift spirits of SA embassy staff 

Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) director-general (DG) Zane Dangor landed in the US on Friday on a trip to boost the morale...
Spooks target intelligence minister 

Spooks target intelligence minister 

Knives are out for Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni after an intelligence report accused her of abusing state resources to “further political and...
Bid to bar whistleblower from Cyril’s Joburg meeting fails

Bid to bar whistleblower from Cyril’s Joburg meeting fails

Chaos erupted in the City of Johannesburg chambers when the regional chairperson of the South African Municipal Workers Union,  Esther Mtatyana was blocked from...
'New Expropriation Act is ruse to create illusion of land reform'

Dearth in public discourse 

Ndumiso Mokako  The quality of public debate in South Africa has degenerated over time, with public commentators and analysts presenting their emotions as facts without...
Let’s hope Godongwana’s second attempt passes GNU test 

Let’s hope Godongwana’s second attempt passes GNU test 

Let’s hope Godongwana’s second attempt passes GNU test  Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana took a proper bite at the cherry with his presentation to the...
No ignoring Gayton’s pungent farts!

No ignoring Gayton’s pungent farts!

A dodgy smell lingers in the air around the government offices in Tshwane’s Madiba Street and Cape Town’s Plein Street, and publicly available evidence...