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Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad to Visit DRC as part of SADC Delegation,
14 - 15 July 2006 Pretoria - South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz
Pahad will join a delegation of SADC Ministers who will visit the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) to assess its readiness to hold its first elections in more than
40 years elections from Friday - Saturday, 14-15 July 2006. Deputy Minister Pahad
will join Ministers from Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Botswana
and Zambia. Deputy Minister Pahad's participation in the SADC Ministerial
visit to the DRC comes within the context of South Africa's commitment to consolidate
the African agenda through the successful implementation of peace processes and
post-conflict reconstruction and development in among others, the DRC.
This
visit to the DRC by the SADC Ministers follows the recommendation of the SADC
Meeting of the Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy Committee on 15 June 2006 that
a SADC Ministerial Delegation comprising Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence
should visit the DRC and hold consultations on the best ways to encourage all
political forces and other stakeholders to consolidate achievements already made.
In
this regard, while in the DRC the SADC delegation is expected to receive briefings
from the: - DRC government on the preparations for elections;
- Independent
Electoral Commission;
- MONUC team covering the political and security
situation and the electoral logistics; and
- Representatives of the European
Union.
Deputy Minister Pahad will return to South Africa on Sunday,
16 July 2006.
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853
Department
of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001 13 July
2006 | 
