Pretoria — South Africa will host the Inaugural Summit of the African Union (AU) scheduled for July this year.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) says the decision imposes greater responsibility on South Africa to ensure a successful mobilisation campaign behind the AU.

The department says this decision is also historic in that South Africa was not a part of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) due to its former apartheid policies.

Renaissance South Africa comprises members from the Presidency, DFA, Government Communication and Information System, Africa Institute and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) Secretariat.

The South African Chapter of African Renaissance has been constituted to develop and oversee the mobilisation campaign behind the AU.

First on the cards is a national launch in the Free State in July led by President Thabo Mbeki and provincial workshops for members of parliament and provincial legislatures.

It would also help mobilise diplomatic corps, hold the continental expert meeting, organise the continental civil society summit, the youth and the mass media.

'Renaissance South Africa will be mobilising a broad section of our population and beyond in an attempt to popularise both the African union and the Nepad,' Renaissance South Africa said.

It said critical to this campaign is the need to bring the AU and the Nepad to the people of South Africa in a manner that would incorporate the two into the Vuk'uzenzele campaign recently unveiled by President Thabo Mbeki.[ADF3]