BuaNews (Tshwane)
Bathandwa Mbola
3 April 2008
Pretoria — A Bi-National Commission (BNC) currently underway at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria, between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to boost existing ties between the two countries.
South African President, Thabo Mbeki will on Thursday host DRC President Joseph Kabila, who arrived in the country this week, for the fifth session of the countries' BNC.
"President Mbeki will host this session of the SA-DRC BNC within the context of South Africa's commitment to assisting the people of DRC in their post-conflict reconstruction and development programme while strengthening bilateral relations with the DRC with a view to consolidating the African Agenda," the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
The SA-DRC BNC is being co-chaired by President Thabo Mbeki and President Joseph Kabila.
President Mbeki's delegation will include Foreign Affairs, Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Defence Minister, Mosiuoa Lekota, Transport Minister, Jeff Radebe, Public Service and Administration Minister, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
The Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Bridgette Mabandla, Education Minister Naledi Pandor, Trade and Industry Minister, Mandisi Mpahlwa, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica, and the Minister of Home Affairs Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will also be in the delegation.
Further more on Wednesday Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Aziz Pahad together with DRC'S Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi, co-chaired the Ministerial Meeting of the SA-DRC Bi-National Commission.
The ministerial session discussed proposals to be tabled during the Heads of State Session of the BNC on Thursday.
In this regard, the ministers are expected to make recommendations to the Heads of State on:
During last year's Bi-National meeting in Kinshasa, deals were signed that included the rehabilitation of the Congo's airports, the construction of new railways lines and repairs to ports in two regions.
The health ministries agreed to collaborate in immunisation programmes and the exchange of expertise. South Africa also agreed to provide funds for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Inga Hydro-electric Dam, which is one of the biggest projects to be implemented under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
South Africa has been heavily involved in post conflict reconstruction and development in the DRC, and was one of the key players in fostering the DRC's first democratic election held in July 2006.
South African organisations printed the ballots, distributed them across the vast, resource rich nation and assisted with Information and Communication Technology support for the monitoring and counting process.
The DRC's election in 2006 was the first in over 45 years, after the Mouvement National Congolais won the country's first free legislative elections in 1959, leading to the appointment as prime minister of the legendary anti-colonial leader, Patrice Lumumba.
The election followed five years of fighting in the country that borders nine countries - causing the deaths of as many as four million people - and which ended in 2003.
The DRC's newly-elected Parliament sat for the first time on 13 February 2007.
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.
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.
South Africa's assistance to the DRC is broadly based on three key areas as decided by Cabinet, which are the Security Sector Reform (SSR), Institutional capacity building and Economic development.
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