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Deputy President's Zuma Meets With OAU
Ambassadors at the Third African Development Forum,
Addis Ababa
Deputy President Zuma today assured ambassadors of
the Organisation for African Unity that the New Partnership
for Africa's Development (NEPAD) was not in competition
with the Organisation for African Unity/African Union.
The Deputy President was allaying fears of some delegates
at the Third African Development Forum conference, which
he is attending in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, who felt the
programme might be in competition with the African Union,
or could be a parallel process to the new AU.
Deputy President Zuma made the comments at a briefing
meeting he hosted for OAU Ambassadors on a number of
issues, including NEPAD, this afternoon, 7 March 2002.
"NEPAD is a programme of the OAU, and was adopted
by Heads of State of the OAU, so there can never be
a question of it being in competition with the AU/OAU
programme of action", the Deputy President said.
He said the fact that Heads of State were hands-on
and actively driving NEPAD made the programme unique
and effective, as it was able to cut the red tape.
"NEPAD will certainly enhance the work of the
AU and should be supported by all in the continent,
including civil society", he said.
Earlier in the day, the Deputy President had a discussion
with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, aimed
at strengthening bilateral relations between the two
countries.
Deputy President Zuma will tomorrow, 8 March, address
the plenary of the ADF and is scheduled to return to
South Africa in the evening.
The ADF is an initiative led by the United Nations
Economic Commission for Africa, with the aim of, among
other things, establishing an African-driven development
agenda.
The theme of the conference is "Defining Priorities
for Regional Integration" and focuses on regional
economic integration in the context of the commitment
of African heads of State to found the African Union.
For more information please contact Lakela Kaunda at
092511173135 (Addis Ababa).
Issued by The Presidency
07 March 2002
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