Picture: The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo
By REGINALD KANYANE
18 December 2025 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo has congratulated India on taking over the BRICS Presidency from Brazil for 2026. Mahumapelo said the Presidency was officially handed over by Brazil to India this week in a symbolic gesture.
He further said the 18th BRICS Summit will be hosted by India in 2026, bringing together the 11 member states to discuss key issues and shape the group’s future agenda. Mahumapelo added that the priorities for 2026 are structured around four pillars such as resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.
“India’s Presidency will also focus on reforming global governance institutions, promoting multi-polarity, and strengthening South-South cooperation. We are confident in the success of the upcoming India Presidency and we wish them well in the year ahead.
“We also thank the President of Brazil for his leadership and accomplishments in the strides that have been made in ensuring that the BRICS member countries are strengthened economically, politically and socially this year,” he said.
Picture: Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo
By REGINALD KANYANE
18 November 2025 – In noting the absence of certain member states at the G20 Summit currently under way in Johannesburg, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo said, it is not the first time that some of the G20 member states are absent for various reasons. Mahumapelo said of key importance is that the summit continues, despite any absences and continues to engage on the items on the agenda and make decisions to achieve desired and meaningful impact for individual nations and their citizens.
He further said divergence of views and contradictions among G20 member states is an unavoidable reality and the only course to adopt is through persuasion and discourse to reach common ground, thereby uniting member nations. Mahumapelo added that this enables G20 nations to reach a position that allows for cooperation rather than differences – thereby giving meaning to the initial creation of the G20 platform for the purposes of development of member nations.
“As the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, I commend South Africa and Africa for hosting a successful G20 Summit. South Africa continued on a path of constructive engagement with the United States to attend the G20 Summit and will continue with that engagement, notwithstanding the absence of the US from the summit.
“South Africa and the rest of the African continent celebrate the hosting of the G20 Summit for the first time on African soil. This day will remain memorable in the minds of South Africans and take its special glory in the annals of South African history,” he emphasised.
Picture: The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo
By AGISANANG SCUFF
30 August 2025 – The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo will jointly with the Southern African Liaison Office (SALO), hold a virtual media briefing on the Colloquium on the people’s expectations of South Africa’s G20 Presidency: A Conversation with non – State Actors.
Mahumapelo said through this Colloquium, the committee and SALO seek to establish stakeholder expectations regarding South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the various engagement groups, including the Y20, C20, W20, T20, and B20.
“A diverse range of stakeholders will be invited with an emphasis on ensuring representation from across all nine provinces and from a broad spectrum of sectors: civil society including grassroots, faith-based, youth, women, and LGBTQI organisations and individuals, organised labour, the private sector, academia, and others.
“The aim is to ensure inclusivity and that no one is left behind in the unfolding processes towards the G20 summit,” he said.
Meanwhile, the briefing will be held virtually on 1 September 2025 from 12:00 – 13:00.
Picture: The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo
By REGINALD KANYANE
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo said he had noted the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) ruling on the occupation of Palestine by Israel, declaring Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territory as amounting to annexation.
Mahumapelo said the ICJ made the ruling on 19 July 2024, in Hague that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end “as rapidly as possible”. He further said the President of the ICJ read out the non-binding advisory opinion issued by the 15-judge panel on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.
“The judges pointed to a wide list of policies – including the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, use of the area’s natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands and discriminatory policies against Palestinians – all of which it said violated international law.
“The court said Israel is violating international laws against acquiring territory by force and is impeding Palestinians’ right to self-determination. The ICJ said other nations were obliged not to “render aid or assistance in maintaining” Israel’s presence in the territory,” he said.
Mahumapelo added that it said Israel must end settlement construction immediately and existing settlements must be removed, according to a summary of the more than 80-page opinion read out by the President. He said the committee has noted the ICJ’s ruling on Israel for its occupation of Palestine.
“We have noted the ruling as a progressive and historic development and wish for more progressive and binding resolutions that will liberate the people of Palestine from the violence and aggression of Israel,” said Mahumapelo.
Picture: The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo
By OBAKENG MAJE
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo, joins peace loving people in the world in welcoming the order handed down by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) yesterday ordering Israel, in conformity with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and in view of the worsening conditions of life faced by civilians in Rafah, to immediately halt its military operation.
The ICJ ordered, among other things, Israel to maintain open the Rafah crossing for unhindered provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance and to take effective measures to ensure the unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip of any commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission or other investigative body mandated by competent organs of the United Nations to investigate allegations of genocide.
Mahumapelo said the committee welcomes the order of the ICJ aimed at saving ordinary Palestinians in Gaza, who are now facing 7th month of suffering through collective punishment for something for which they have no individual responsibility.
He further said the ruling is made when at least 35,709 Palestinians had been killed and continue to die of starvation, many of them children, and hundreds of thousands are at imminent threat of death because a deliberate decision has been taken by Israel to starve Palestinians by denying them food.
“At least 80,000 Palestinians have been injured and 1.7 million displaced, often multiple times, with 900,000 displaced in the last two weeks alone. The court, whose powers are tied to the provisions of the Genocide Convention and cannot be exercised against “mere” war crimes or human rights violations, has done what it considers it can do to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people in Gaza as a group and their protection from further harm.
“The committee calls on all state parties to observe the prescripts of international law, which obliged them to reconsider their relations with Israel following the court findings,” said Mahumapelo.
He added that under international law, Israel is obliged to implement the court’s order, as well as the previous orders of 26 January (as reaffirmed by the Court on 16 February 2024) and 28 March.
The Guardian 