 |
| Welcome to BuaNews, the gateway to quick and fresh government news and information |
| Home | Today's stories | This week's stories | Last week's stories | Other Features | International News | User policy |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System --------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 Jun 2007 Title: Kabila lauds SA's contributions to DRC peace --------------------------------------------------------------- By Shaun Benton Cape Town - Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has warmly thanked President Thabo Mbeki and South Africa as a whole for its consistent support for peace and democracy. "The government of South Africa invested so much to a solution to a long crisis that affected my country for so long," Mr Kabila told South African MPs on Thursday in an address to a joint sitting of the South African parliament. All this support has made South Africa "assured of our esteem", the DRC president said, in the first half of an address that was delivered in French and translated into English. President Kabila said he had come to sincerely thank South Africa for its consistent support of a peaceful and democratic outcome in the DRC, a country the size of western Europe which suffered through decades of dictatorship and civil war. It was in South Africa that the seeds of peace and democracy in the DRC were first planted, and where the inter-Congolese dialogue was first begun, he said. It was also South Africa that helped the DRC to build the transitional institutions that paved the way for democratic elections, along with South Africa's support for reform of the DRC armies and for the building of its public administration. Apart from its assistance, South Africa itself was a "source of inspiration for countries in crisis", President Kabila added, giving them hope of what can be "so beautifully achieved" in less than one generation. "As a citizen of Africa and of the world we are proud of South Africa and present our warm and sincere congratulations," he said. He added that the multinational and multicultural characteristics of South African society was also a source of inspiration, adding that the country symbolised the faith of African people in integration and the success of a vibrant private sector. Earlier, in a press conference at the presidential offices of Tuynhuys following bilateral talks with President Mbeki, he singled out South Africa's Department of Defence in particular for its support of the country's peace process, which included the difficult task of assimilating the various armed forces operating in the vast country. Now, the climate is ripe in the Democratic Republic of Congo for South African companies to examine investment opportunities there, Mr Kabila, told reporters on Thursday. He asserted that the country's legal system was now in a condition to guarantee the security of foreign investments. The business community would see a country very different from what it was in 2002, he said, adding that reforms under way would make the country even more attractive as they would lend themselves to a macro-economic situation conducive to investment. These changes would bring about a stability in the DRC that would last "a long time". Having emerged from the first democratic elections in over 40 years that were brought about with the assistance of the United Nations - with a major contribution made by South Africa - the DRC president said that the country's codes - or laws - on mining and investment made it a "very attractive" place for the private sector. The state visit by the first elected leader of the DRC in over 40 years has been warmly welcomed by South African officials. One South African MP pointed to the dedicated assistance provided to the democratic process in the DRC by President Mbeki in the face of waves of pessimism. President Kabila said that apart from future interactions between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Southern African Development Community, he wished for bilateral cooperation "to intensify". He said he hoped that the determination of the two countries to build a close relationship would result in the forging of "strong bonds of solidarity". Speaking in Parliament, he went on to outline the vision of the DRC for the future, promising a focus on good governance and national reconstruction as priorities of the DRC government. Much work has to be done, including the relaunching of the agricultural sector, the mining sector, the creation of basic infrastructure such as roads, railways, ports and airports. The Congolese people had high expectations now, he said to reporters earlier, saying that the country was working on access to employment and provision of water, electricity, shelter and healthcare for its 60 million citizens. He promised to fight corruption and criminality and to mobilise financial resources for increased free enterprise within the context of the "social economy" of free markets. The opportunities for growth are "huge", he said, and must be seized. He pledged to build international relationships, to practice non-interference on other countries' affairs, to fight terrorism, prevent armed conflict and work to eradicate HIV/ AIDS, TB and malaria, while respecting human rights, human life, justice and equality. He also promised attention to other issues, such as global warming, other environmental threats to the planet, and the reduction of national debt and the lessening of the digital divide. "My country is ready to play a big part in all these debates," he said, as he perhaps marked the first moment of the coming of age of the giant country once described by its United Nations envoy as being the "political centre of gravity" for central Africa. President Mbeki said that further assistance by South Africa reconstruction of the DRC in various and the consolidation of bilateral relations would take place within the context of a binational commission that is scheduled to begin work in earnest in August. The DRC's election last year 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 February 13 this year. - BuaNews |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
