PRETORIA, South Africa, February 15, 2025/APO Group/ --

President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to lead the South African delegation to the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Heads of State and Government.

This gathering of continental leadership will take place this weekend, 15 and 16 February 2025. 

The Assembly will take place under the  AU theme for 2025, “Justice for African and People of African Descent Through Reparations”.

In this context, it is expected that the Summit will review and assess what has been achieved in Africa’s efforts towards the attainment of long overdue justice and reparations and decades of colonialism and apartheid, slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

One of the highly anticipated responsibilities of the forthcoming Assembly will be to elect and appoint the AU Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.

The Assembly takes place against a backdrop of a myriad of challenges, including threats to democratic governance, peace and security, through unconstitutional changes of government and post-election violence.

The Continent also suffers from inter and intra-state conflicts, terrorism and violent extremism, poverty, food and energy insecurity, the impact of climate change, inadequate infrastructure, low productivity, trade barriers and continued dependence on external aid and markets. 

The Assembly will elect new Members of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to replace the current members, whose three-year terms are set to expire.

South Africa is involved in a number of peacekeeping and mediation efforts across the Continent, notably of the AU Ad-hoc High-Level Committee on South Sudan; the AU Ad-Hoc High-Level Committee on Libya, and has deployed troops as part of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).

President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola; the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Angie Motshekga; Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Ms Mmamoloko Kubayi; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau; Minister in the Presidency, Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Mr Dion George; Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina and Minister of Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi.