President Ramaphosa calls for united action to end hunger at social justice summit

Stellenbosch University hosted President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 7th Social Justice Summit on Friday, October 17, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Hosted by the university's centre for social justice and various stakeholders, the summit facilitated a dialogue under the theme: Social Justice, Food Security and Peace: Pathways to Equality, Solidarity, Sustainability and Climate Resilience.

Delivering the keynote address, President Ramaphosa described the theme as observing the country’s broader National Development Plan (NDP) and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that the countdown to 2030 “has begun in earnest.”

“The realisation of the right to food is not merely a measure of policy success, it is a test of our collective conscience.”

“The great paradox of our time is that global food production is sufficient to feed everyone, yet millions still go hungry. This is a failure of justice, not of capacity,” he said.

President Ramaphosa said the government was committed to reducing poverty and malnutrition through the National School Nutrition Programme, which feeds millions of pupils, and through social grants that sustain millions of households. 

However, he encouraged the private sector to enhance its efforts, urging major food retailers to reconsider their profit margins and “join the government in reducing the cost of living.”

Professor Thuli Madonsela, director of the university’s centre for social justice, announced the intentions to establish a private commission to develop a Model Law on Food Security, Nutrition and the Right to Food, rooted in the principles of General Comment 12 on the right to food of the United Nations’ Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The university’s rector and vice-chancellor, Professor Deresh Ramjugernath, told attendees: “We measure success not by statements but by the tangible impact of our work – whether it is a meal reaching a hungry student, or a policy that improves the lives of ordinary South Africans.”

Meanwhile, the non-profit Ranyaka Community Transformation hosted the inaugural THRIVE Women's Summit in Stellenbosch on Tuesday, October 14.

Over 100 women changemakers came together to celebrate collaboration across sectors and explore practical ways to build thriving communities.

Ranyaka chief executive Sithembiso Malevu said, “This summit has shown that the future is not something distant. It is something we are shaping right here and now with the choices we make, the conversations we have, and the partnerships we build. Imagine towns where people are flourishing, where dignity is restored, where every child sees a future. That is what we pursue, that is what we build, that is what we call Thrive.”