President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has paid tribute to the Republic of South Africa for its role in returning Liberia to democratic rule through its chairmanship of the African Union. South Africa chaired the AU when Liberia held its first post-war elections that gave President Sirleaf its first mandate.

The Liberian leader spoke Tuesday evening, November 27, when an eight-member delegation of the Public Accounts Committee of the South African Parliament paid her a courtesy call. The Committee was in the country, at the invitation of their Liberian counterparts of the 53rd National Legislature, to share experiences on how to treat audit reports and public hearings.

According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf said both countries share long-standing relations that she wants to tap into by inviting South African businessmen to invest in Liberia.

President Sirleaf thanked the legislators for sharing their experiences in fighting corruption. She told the delegation that, as part of Liberia's return to democracy, her administration has empowered the fight against waste, fraud and abuse by the establishment of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission; and also by strengthening the General Auditing Commission so that it reports to the Legislature instead of the President, thereby breaking away from the past.

Speaking earlier, the head of the delegation, Fish Ndelela, praised President Sirleaf's fight against corruption, which is visible, and called upon the Liberian people to unite and form a common front to fight this menace.