OFFICIAL TRIP OF MR VALLI MOOSA TO GHANA

Issued by: The Ministry of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development

15 April 1998

The Minister for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development Mr Valli Moosa will today undertake an official trip to the Republic of Ghana. This visit follows a public invitation by his counterpart Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi - who is the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development in Ghana. Mr Ahwoi made this invitation during the Launch of the White Paper on local government during which he was a guest speaker and a special guest of the Minister.

The Minister therefore hopes that through this continued interaction, relations between Ghana and South Africa will be strengthened even further. Through meetings with various ministers and deputy ministers and other high level government officials, the minister hopes to learn a lot of things related to his ministry that could assist us in translating our constitution into practice.

The following are highlights of the visit:

• Meetings with Mr Ahwoi and his deputy ministers in Local Government and Rural Development.
• Meeting with the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission to discuss among others Demarcation of municipal boundaries and other matters related to the electoral process.
• Meeting with the Chairman of the Commission on Civic Education to discuss broadly programmes for 'Education for a democratic change'.
• The Meeting with the Minister of Finance will be of particular significance as it will deal with something that has become topical since the launch of the White paper-Municipal finance. This meeting will look at Financing of district councils and also the enhancement of technical capacities of district councils. Also to be looked at with the deputy minister of finance is the issue of economic reform in local government.

At the very highest level of government in Ghana the Minister will also meet the Vice President of Ghana to discuss private sector participation and public sector reform management in relation to local government. Finally the Minister will meet the presidential staffer for chieftainship affairs to discuss institutional arrangements for traditional affairs in government. This is particularly significant given the white paper on traditional affairs that the ministry is currently working on.

The visit to Ghana comes at the most opportune moment giving the Ministry of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development a real opportunity to learn what Ghana is doing in building its democracy at a time when legislation is about to go before parliament changing the face of our local government for good.

The visit that starts today will end on Sunday 19 April 1998 a day before Parliamentary Hearings on the White Paper on Local Government begin in Cape Town.

Issued by the Ministry of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development Tuesday 14 April 1998, Pretoria.

For more information, please contact: Onkgopotse J.J. Tabane Public Relations Officer Tel: 021 462 1441 Cell: 082 465 6185