Cape Town — The Ghanaian flag flew high yesterday as South Africa welcomed the Ghanaian President John Atta Mills to its shores with the honour of a 21-gun salute and ceremonial guard at the start of his historic two-day state visit hosted by President Jacob Zuma.
President Mills referred to his visit to the country during the soccer World Cup and thanked South Africans for their support of their national soccer team, the Black Stars.
The president said: "This expression of support is clear evidence of the long-lasting relationship that existed between Ghana and South Africa since the days of late leader Dr Kwame Nkrumah who believed that Ghana's independence would be meaningless unless the whole of Africa was free. He believed in the African's own ability to take his destiny into his own hands.
"Now Africa is free and South Africa is playing a lead role that we all expected it to play. It is indeed our conviction that we need to build on this strong relationship thus my decision to come here on invitation by my brother, President Jacob Zuma. Indeed South Africa needs to be commended for making Africa proud.
"Africa," he added, "is beginning to make remarkable progress in showing the world that given the opportunity we can stand tall and that it is the continent of the future where investors can get a good return on their investment. The excellent organisation of the World Cup is ample evidence that when given the opportunity, the African will be able to deliver creditably."
Mills believes it is important that politically, economically and socially, we collaborate and co-operate with one another so that Africans "will find their proper place in the world".
During the visit, political issues affecting the continent, bilateral cooperation and economic relations will feature high on the agenda of discussions between the two presidents.
The Ghanaian president, accompanied by a business delegation, said South Africans have found Ghana an attractive investment destination, engaged in all areas of the country's economic life.
He expressed the hope that more investment would follow and promised that his government will provide an environment conducive to smoothing the path for such investment. He urged collaborative efforts on the part of Ghanaian and South African business which would ultimately benefit the respective countries economically.
"This is the kind of message we want to send to the world that Africa wants to look inwards, to see what it is that we can do for ourselves."
Drawn out on the developing situation in Libya, where Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi is being pushed out of power, Mills kept to the African Union line, saying that events there will be "watched closely but that the interests of the people ... would be of paramount importance."
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"Democracy is the chosen path if the continent wants to progress. We need to respect human rights and uphold rule of law and above all, ensure that the mandate given to us is used solely for the benefit of our people," he said.
President Mills said that to many Ghanaians, the visit was more of a homecoming because, during the apartheid years, heroes like Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu were their heroes and household names too and will continue to be so, while many other names of those currently serving in the South African government will also be heroes in Ghana.
He thanked the South African leader for the opportunity to sit down and talk about matters of mutual interest, expressing the hope that other African countries would follow suit.
President Mills was also due to visit the memorial site of the Gugulethu Seven just outside Cape Town where he is expected to lay a wreath. He is also expected to visit Robben Island.
