Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE THIRTY-THIRD ORDINARY SESSION OF THE OAU ASSEMBLY OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT (2-4 JUNE 1997) AND THE SIXTY SIXTH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE OAU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS (22-30 MAY 1997)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Alfred Nzo, will lead a South African delegation to the annual Organisation for African Unity (OAU) Council of Ministers Meeting in Harare from 27-30 May 1997. The delegation will include senior officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs as well as Ambassador Khiphusizi Jele, South Africa' s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and Ambassador Welile Nhlapo, South Africa's Permanent Representative to the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa. Minister Nzo will later be joined by President Nelson Mandela who will be attending the OAU Summit of African Heads of State and Government on 2 June 1997, which immediately follows the Ministerial meeting.
South Africa will, inter alia, promote the Action Plan adopted by the first OAU Landmine Conference held in Kempton Park from 19-21 May 1997, which included a call on the OAU to endorse the strongest possible resolution on the banning of anti-personnel landmines. Minister Nzo will also strengthen South Africa's lobbying efforts for Cape Town's 2004 Olympic Bid.
Other matters under consideration will include the situation in the Great Lakes region, developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Angola. The meeting of African leaders will also examine vret, on economic, educational, scientific, cultural and social affairs.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 26 MAY 1997