Deputy President Leaves Pretoria for Dar Es Salaam Summit

Deputy President Jacob Zuma left South Africa at 13.30 today, 14 May, for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to represent the country in the SADC Extra-Ordinary Summit on Agriculture and Food Security, to be attended by Heads of State and Government from the SADC region.

The Deputy President's delegation to the Summit includes the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms Thoko Didiza and senior government officials. The Minister is already in Dar es Salaam where she is participating in the Ministerial leg of the Summit, ahead of the Heads of State and Government session tomorrow, 15 May.

The Summit seeks to produce a plan for the revamping of agricultural production in order to improve food security in the region. To date, 15 million people in the region have no capacity to feed themselves and are targeted to receive food aid. There are concerns, among other issues, that there has been an inadequate food production in the SADC region over the past 13 years, that there has been an increase in food imports and food aid over the same period as well as a substantial decline in donor aid flows to agriculture.

The meeting will also pay attention to the strengthening of disaster preparedness in Africa.
The Deputy President will return to South Africa tomorrow evening (15 May) at the end of the Summit.

Enquiries: Lakela Kaunda on 09255745538850
Issued by the Presidency
Pretoria