President Mbeki to Host President Kabile on State Visit

Pretoria - South African President Thabo Mbeki will host his counterpart from the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Joseph Kabila, on a State Visit scheduled to take place from Thursday 14 to Friday 15 June 2007. The two Presidents will hold bilateral discussions at Tuynhuys in Cape Town on Thursday 14 June 2007.

These discussions will take place within the context of South Africa's commitment to consolidate relations with the DRC and to support the political, economic, reconciliation and nation building processes in the country.

Issues on the agenda of discussions between Presidents Mbeki and Kabila on Thursday 14 June 2007 are expected to include:
The status of bilateral political and economic relations between both countries including future and sustained co-operation;
A briefing by President Kabila on recent political developments in the DRC including the vital security sector reform;
Support from the international community, including the United Nations, for political and economic processes in the DRC;
A briefing from President Mbeki on the recently concluded G-8 + 5 and African outreach session; and
Other issues of mutual interest.

The DRC remains one of the foreign policy pillars of South Africa's engagement on the African continent. South Africa's assistance to the DRC is informed by its vision of an "African Renaissance" of peace, stability and security and sustained renewal, growth and socio-economic development for the African continent. Accordingly, South Africa is committed to a strategy for post conflict reconstruction and development in the DRC that is aligned with that of the African Union and NEPAD. Hence, its assistance to the DRC is broadly based on 3 key areas, which are: the Security Sector Reform (SSR), Institutional capacity building and Economic development.

South Africa assisted the DRC in organising its first democratic election on 30 July 2006 with the second round following on 29 October 2006. The South African Government deployed a 108-member National Observer Team, in all eleven (11) provinces, which observed both rounds of the DRC elections. This was done within the framework of the Bi-National Commission (BNC) agreement which was signed between the two countries in 2004. The BNC further paved the way for engagement in the DRC by the South African Government Departments of Foreign Affairs, Public Service and Administration, Defence, Home Affairs, Trade and Industry, the South African Police Service, Provincial and Local Government, Transport, Minerals and Energy, Housing, Agriculture, Social Development, SARS, SAMDI and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). Priority was given to areas critical to electoral support and subsequent to the successful elections, this support was extended to enhance capacity building in governance structures and security sector reform.

Given the magnitude of the task, it is clear that the reconstruction process in the DRC will continue to require international support. In this regard, South Africa is supporting the DRC by sharing its experience of engaging the international community and international financial institutions in the processes of reconstruction, development and nation building.

South Africa also welcomes the renewed MONUC mandate which has been extended to December 2007. The mandate authorises the deployment of 17, 030 military personnel and 1 900 military observers, police and police trainers, and spells out the United Nations role to train the Congolese armed forces and police in observing human rights. The maintenance of the MONUC force in the DRC will contribute to contain the violence committed by armed militia especially in the volatile eastern part of the country.

During the State Visit, President Joseph Kabila will get an opportunity to address a Joint Sitting of the South African Parliament and interact with the South African Business sectors. It is anticipated that the business meeting will attract investments and explore business incentives and opportunities for South African companies in the DRC. President Kabila will also visit the North West Province and the Royal Bafokeng community in particular, in order to experience how the latter benefit from the mining activities.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

10 June 2007