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15 March 2009

Victoria Falls: South African Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma arrived in Victoria Falls on Sunday ahead of the scheduled meeting of SA-Zimbabwe Joint Permanent Commission for Co-operation (JPCC) which she will chair with the Zimbabwean Foreign Minister on Monday, 16 March at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Minister Dlamini Zuma is leading a senior ministerial delegation comprising Ministers Mandisi Mpahlwa; Nosiviwe Mapisa–Nqakula, Lulu Xingwana and Barbara Hogan as well as senior government officials including Directors-General of foreign Affairs and Minerals and Energy Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba and Advocate Sandile Nogxina, respectively.

The JPCC Ministerial Session which is being preceded by a senior officials’ meeting from 14 to 15 March 2009, will focus, among others, on the following issues.

* Review of existing bilateral political, economic and trade relations between the two countries
* Social and humanitarian matters which includes co-operation in the health field, public service administration; labour and arts and culture
* Migration matters
* Trade, finance and investment
* Energy and mining
* Environment and tourism
* Agriculture
* Transport and communications
* Preparations for the forthcoming confederations cup and the fifa 2010 world cup.
* Identification of possible agreements and additional projects

South Africa's participation in the 3rd Session of the JPCC comes within the context of her commitment to consolidate bilateral political, economic and trade relations with Zimbabwe while assisting the people of Zimbabwe in their path towards national reconciliation, reconstruction and development as well as economic recovery.

Bilateral relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe remain cordial and South Africa’s assistance to Zimbabwe is furthermore informed by its broader vision of the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) economic integration programme. Zimbabwe remains a major trading partner with South Africa as illustrated by the trade statistics below.

South Africa – Zimbabwe trade statistics (all figures in ZAR billion)

Exports annual total:
2002: 7,309,455
2003: 6,551,409
2004: 6,182,317
2005: 7,486,859
2006: 7,410,602
2007: 8,501,124

Imports annual total:
2002: 2,159,775
2003: 2,656,012
2004: 2,795,783
2005: 3,131,518
2006: 4,633,368
2007: 6,036,490

Trade balance annual total:
2002: 5,149,681
2003: 3,895,396
2004: 3,386,534
2005: 4,355,341
2006: 2,777,234
2007: 2,464,634

South African exports (Rand '000)
2008
Jan: 538,755
Feb: 797,617
Mar: 841,840

South African imports (Rand'000)
2008
Jan: 599,310
Feb: 433,479
Mar: 573,595

South African trade balance (Rand'000)
2008
Jan: 60,554
Feb: 364,138
Mar: 268,245

Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
15 March 2009