T Mbeki and J Kabila press comments at SA - DRC business forum

14 June 2007

President Thabo Mbeki
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

President Kabila, let me say a warm welcome to you and your delegation from
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As you know, President Kabila is paying
a State Visit to South Africa. He will this afternoon address a joint sitting
of parliament and we will meet a big group of business people tomorrow morning.
Today we have had a discussion with the President and his delegation to look at
what do we do next. As you know, the President and ourselves have been working
together for some years now on various matters – firstly the negotiations that
led to the establishment of the transitional government and then preparations
for the elections and so on.

These discussions with the President has given us an opportunity to
congratulate the President and his government on the progress that has thus far
been made with elections being held last year, the subsequent drafting and
adoption of the constitution and so on. The President and his delegation have
briefed us on the areas of priority his government has identified:
infrastructure, water, health, housing, energy, agriculture and such areas
which we need to focus on to address developmental challenges.

We have a binational commission between the DRC and South Africa that will
meeting in August in the DRC to look at what we do with regard to these
identified priority areas.

There is also other area of work that was underway from before the holding
of elections in the area of capacity building of government institutions
between the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Public Service and Administration,
Defence, Police, security sector reform. So co-operation is already underway in
these various areas that will be escalated. I am referring to the matter of
capacity building.

You must be aware that the President and his colleagues inherited a country
that was in crisis for many decades. So the matter of building up the mechanism
of the State machinery becomes very important. This is one of the areas of
co-operation. Let me conclude by saying, a very warm welcome. This is a very
comprehensive programme of co-operation. Now that you have a stable democracy
and processes, we have to ascertain what next needs to be done to address these
developmental challenges. We are trying to do this both as government and as I
have already indicated, we will meet with a large group of business people
tomorrow morning to inspire them to be part of this rebuilding of the DRC.

President Kabila
Thank you Mr President to you and your government for the warm welcome we have
received since we arrived in Cape Town yesterday afternoon. This is not my
first visit to South Africa nor is the first visit for many members of my
delegation. I was here for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue that was held in South
Africa over a period of months. It is through this that we achieved what we set
out to achieve five to six years ago – reunification, organisation of elections
and the setting up of democratic institutions which are now in place.

The only difference between the other visits and this one, apart from the
fact that it is a State Visit, is that you have a democratically elected
President, institutions that are in place and off course, we could not have
achieved all this without sustained support from yourself, the government and
people of South Africa in various sectors, mostly the defence sector and of
course in as far as the organisation of elections was concerned. Thanks a lot
for this.

With elections come expectations and in the Congo, the elections have been
followed by very high expectations in as far as the consolidation of democracy
is concerned and in as far as the social sector is concerned. We are very
determined to ensure these legitimate expectations of the Congolese people are
met internally and with the support of various partners, of which South Africa
is one major partner.

Of course, in order to achieve those results and the objectives we have set
ourselves we are looking forward Mr President to seeing you in the DRC in
August this year in order to try and consolidate the already very strong
relations that exist through the SA-DRC Binational Commission (BNC).

Thank you

Questions and answers

Question: President Mbeki, we have heard a great deal from you and your
officials regarding what has been done so far. You will be aware that our raw
materials and capital have been leaving the DRC. What does your government
intend to do about this? What does South Africa intend to do regarding
development assistance to the DRC?

Answer: I'm sure you will have heard what has been said: the SA-DRC BNC will
meet in August 2007 in the DRC – we have tried to indicate the priority areas
in terms of what has been identified by the DRC government for the development
of the DRC. Those are the matters that will serve on the agenda for our August
meeting. What has to happen between now and then is to make the necessary
preparations so we can say these are the priority areas of infrastructure and
then to say what it is we can do about this, i.e. what are the resources that
can be generated to support these processes?

Perhaps you would ask this question at the end of August since we have tried
to indicate to you where we are going and what are the areas of priority. Of
course, we are talking of a partnership between South Africa and the DRC – not
of South Africa coming to the DRC without the support of the government of the
DRC – we must work as a partnership. With regard to the second question, I
think President Kabila will answer that question. Of course the Congolese
government must deal with the illegal export of capital and materials from the
DRC.

Question: President Kabila, could you respond to the demands of the
Congolese community who gathered outside Tuynhuys this morning – that of the
regularisation of their situation in South Africa and the achievement of peace
in Eastern DRC?

Answer: I had thought that the Congolese had assembled outside Tuynhuys to
welcome me to South Africa. The issues raised by the Congolese are certainly
ones that need to be addressed – particularly regarding the regularisation of
their status in South Africa and the security situation in eastern DRC.
Decisions have been taken by senior defence counsel in the DRC with a view to
finding a sustainable solution to the problem of peace in eastern DRC. Measures
have been taken at political, diplomatic and at a military level with a view to
finding a solution. Government and institutions are determined to establish
peace in this war-torn region. Peace in the region requires a great deal of
determination, indeed, passionate determination because the people living in
this part of our country have had enough now.

I do no want to tell you any lies so I will tell you that the matter of the
regularisation of the situation of Congolese people living in South Africa
without regular papers was dealt with by President Mbeki and myself in our
discussions. However, we hope, possibly through the BNC, that the ambassadors
and ministries of foreign affairs will be able to take this matter up and find
a sustainable solution for this as well.

Question: Presidents Mbeki and Kabila, have you discussed political issues
and more specifically that of Senator Bemba and specifically to President
Kabila, is there a possibility of Senator Bemba returning to the DRC to
participate in the political process? President Mbeki, are you urging both
parties in the DRC towards reconciliation?

Answer: President Kabila: I will be very brief in my answer since the
situation is very clear. It is not up to President Kabila to allow Senator
Bemba to return to the DRC or not. That is not part of my job. Before Senator
Bemba left or shortly thereafter, the Prosecutor-General introduced a demand at
the Senate for his immunity to be waived so that he would respond to a number
of charges regarding the events of the 22 to 23 March 2007 in Kinshasa. It is
now up to the Senate to agree to and accept this demand or not. Otherwise, the
issue is as simple as it presents itself and is not complicated. It is now a
matter for the institutions – the justice system and the Senate.

President Mbeki: Of course, you would also know that the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) at the SADC Summit in March 2007 agreed with what
the President has just said. We now have a democratic country which has its own
institutions and procedures and the region said it would be important for
everyone, including Senator Bemba, for these institutions and procedures to be
respected. So indeed, the matter will be decided by the Congolese in terms of
its own processes.

Question: President Kabila, would you outline for us the opportunities for
South African entrepreneurs in the Congo, advantages and encouragement that
will be given to them?

Answer: What are the possibilities? I addressed this matter in 2002 during a
visit when I met the business community. In 2002, however, the political
situation was very difficult and not attractive to the private sector. What I
will say today is what I will say to the business community tomorrow. What is
there to attract the business community to the DRC? Firstly the political
situation and political stability with democratic institutions that are in
place. Secondly, a number of reforms that are underway – the macro-economic
situation that has been stable for a very long time and of course we have put
in place a number of laws, the mining and investment codes that are very
attractive to the business community from South Africa or elsewhere. The
advantages are there and many indeed – peace and security, the justice system
that is currently being overhauled so that if and when investors invest in the
Congo, their investments are very safe.

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
14 June 2007