Issued by: Deparment of Foreign Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE OPENING OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEEK IN LUBECK, GERMANY, 3 TO 7 NOVEMBER 1997
On 3 November 1997, The South African Ambassador to Germany, Lindiwe Mabuza and Mrs Anke Eimer, member of the German Bundestag, opened the South African Week in Lubeck which will run from 3 to 7 November 1997.
During this week, South African artists will exhibit, a food festival will take place with South African foods and wines, Arts and Crafts, particularly from rural and small business crafts people, will be on show and there will be a display of South African fashions and of some South African films. On 4 November an economic day will be aimed at attracting investments in the small, medium and micro sized enterprizes and promotion of tourism to South Africa.
In her opening address Ambassador Mabuza particularly thanked Mrs Anke Eimer and her husband for their belief in South Africa and for the drive and enthusiasm they have shown as they worked, with Embassy and Consulate General personnel, in preparing this South African Week in Lubeck.
In her speech at the opening of the Lubeck Week Mrs Eimer paid tribute to the work of reconciliation being done in South Africa, pointing out that in Lubeck, being on the border with the former DDR, there is considerable consciousness of the importance of reconciliation. She also pointed out the economic importance of South Africa as a doorway to her neighbours. All are working to establish political stability, open markets and a market economy. She declared that it must be an objective to establish a free trade zone between the SADC countries and Germany. She said "We Germans stand beside South Africa."
ISSUED BY: THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON BEHALF OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY IN BONN, GERMANY
3 November 1997