delegation
13 July 2006
South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad will join a delegation of
Southern African Development Community (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 to Saturday, 14 to 15
July 2006. Deputy Minister Pahad will join Ministers from Namibia, Lesotho,
Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Botswana and Zambia.
Deputy Minister Pahadâs participation in the SADC Ministerial visit to the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) comes within the context of South Africaâs
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
* Representatives of the European Union.
Deputy Minister Pahad will return to South Africa on Sunday, 16 July
2006.
Enquiries
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
13 July 2006
