President Higgins to receive the President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, on an Official Visit

President Higgins to receive the President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, on an Official Visit

Date: Wed 8th Oct, 2025 | 00:01

Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Michael D. Higgins, will today receive the President of South Africa, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, at Áras an Uachtaráin for an Official Visit.

Following a ceremonial welcome, a private meeting will take place between the two Heads of State, followed by a bilateral meeting between their delegations.

The meetings will be followed by a lunch, where the Presidents and their delegations will be joined by a number of invited guests. The lunch will be addressed by both Presidents.

A number of guests associated with the Anti-Apartheid Movement over the years will attend the official lunch, including representatives of the Dunnes Stores Anti-Apartheid Strikers, whose refusal to handle the sale of grapefruit from South Africa commencing in July 1984 made a major international contribution to drawing attention to the apartheid system, and former Tánaiste and a founding member of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement Joan Burton. Also in attendance at the lunch will be international human rights lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC.

President Higgins has met President Ramaphosa on a number of occasions over the years, with the two Heads of State most recently meeting in New York in September 2024, where they held a bilateral meeting at the United Nations headquarters during the UN General Assembly.

President Ramaphosa has a long connection with Ireland, having played a significant role in the Peace Process in Northern Ireland. As part of this work, he served as an arms inspector in the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning in Northern Ireland and carried out inspections alongside the late former President of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari.

President Higgins made an Official Visit to South Africa in November 2014, and also visited the country as President in December 2013, where he attended the funeral of the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.