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President Thabo Mbeki to lead SA delegation to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extra-Ordinary Summit in Zimbabwe
10 April 2008
Pretoria: South African President Thabo Mbeki will on Saturday, 12 April 2008 lead the South African government delegation to the SADC Extra-ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government scheduled for Lusaka, Zambia to discuss the current situation in Zimbabwe.
In this regard, President Mbeki will be supported by Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad and Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo. Both Deputy Minister Pahad and Ambassador Mamabolo will depart South Africa on Friday, 11 April 2008, ahead of President Mbeki, to attend the SADC Ministerial session, scheduled for Saturday morning and in preparation for the Summit of Heads of State and Government later in the afternoon.
South Africa will participate in this Summit within the context of regional efforts to assist the people of Zimbabwe to address their political and economic challenges. In this regard, President Mbeki facilitated discussions between Zimbabwe's main political protagonists, ZANU-PF and the two factions of the MDC, within the framework of the SADC mandate, with a view to creating a climate for the holding of the recent elections, which were hailed as peaceful, and whose outcomes would not be contested.
Enquires:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
10 April 2008